Nicholas Gysis Greek, 1842-1901

Greek Artists XIX Century, Athens, 1960, illustrated
Nelly Missirli, Gysis, Athens, 1996, no. 15, p. 56, illustrated

Considered by many to be the father of Greek 19^th Century painting, Nicholas Gysis was at the pinnacle of his career when he painted The Orphans in the early 1870s. Depicting a girl woman preparing a meal for her younger siblings, the painting celebrates the importance of family life. In this and his other genre paintings of the period Gysis took a keen interest in exploring Greek manners, customs, rituals, costumes and physiognomy.    

The family, as a basic unit of society, held a special significance for Gysis, and narrative paintings such as The Orphans, The New Arrival and The Barber typically built anecdotes around children in ways that would touch the viewer, either by their humouristic content, or, as in the case of the present work, by their emotive subject. 

While firmly rooted in German romanticism, The Orphans superbly illustrates Gysis' transcendence beyond his masters' teachings and assimilation of other continental trends. From the early tutelage of Karl von Piloty he had developed an obsession for depicting textures. In The Orphans the virtuoso rendition of fabrics, and complexions, and teh contrast between rough and polished wood demonstrates the new life that had been breathed into representation by Courbet and French realism. Likewise the warm, earthy palette and strong chiaroscuro suggest the pre-occupation with light that captivated Gysis during this period. Underpinned by a powerful, yet deceptively simple, draughtsmanship, these factors give the composition a rich materiality.

Another version of the present work signed and dated 1871 is currently in a private collection, Athens.