Gerasimos Steris Greek, 1895-1985

The story of Galatea, her lover Acis, and his rival Polyphemus, which encapsulates the painful dichotomy between requited and unrequited love, has been a continual source of inspiration for painters and poets.

Galatea, a sea nymph, and Acis, the handsome son of Pan and a river nymph, were lovers. Polyphemus, a monstrous cyclop, was also in love with Galatea, but his feelings were not shared by her. Polyphemus pined terribly for her, consoling himself by playing music and composing love poetry - but all to no avail. One day, when he came upon the embracing couple, he was overcome by jealousy, rage and despair. He tore up rocks and flung them at the pair: Galatea escaped, but Acis was crushed to death.

In the present work, the encased triangular composition serves as a means to heighten the tensions between the three protagonists. Galatea is presented as the central figure, with Acis at her feet to her right, and the desperate Polyphemus behind her to the left (with his lyre), and again, his head only, with a prying eye, emerging inquisitively and threateningly from a box behind Galatea's right shoulder.

It appears that Steris constructed this complex abstract composition according to his credo of representing ideas rather than visual realities, as discussed in his personal correspondance: " I am painting what I think and not what I see. I am painting what I dream and feel and not what the visual forms are. I work with an ideal, color is only part of the painting. Great art captures its essence by eliminating all asthetic artifices." (Gerasimos Steris, Personal Correspondence).