Polychronis Lembessis Greek, 1849-1913

After excelling at the Athens School of Fine Arts, Lembessis received a scholarship to study at the Munich Academy. He remained in Munich until 1879, establishing a close friendship with Nicholas Gysis who was also working in the Bavarian capital.

As noted by Marinos Kalligas "It is believed that Nikiforos Lytras was jealous of Lembessis, and persecuted him. This charge is not supported by any concrete evidence; there is only the story that he once rejected a commission from the Serpieris family, it is said through the machinations of Lytras, who was, in some sort, the family painter and their adviser. At all events it is a fact that Lembessis died in poverty and obscurity.

Nevertheless, this vigorous craftsman, who was condemned in his lifetime to obscurity, because of his lack of knowledge of the world, is today considered as one of the most significant Greek painters of his time.... He mainly painted portraits, but also landscapes, still-lives and other small pictures. His plastic power in rendering flesh, and in handling masses, is often astonishing. His matter is full of the sap of life. He rendered his people and objects with a fluency of brush that produces brilliant effects, and gives life and realism to his canvas, together with great beauty." (Marinos Kalligas, Greek Painters of the Nineteenth Century, Athens, 1957, p. 23)

The present work is evidence of Lembessis' early fascination with capturing the human form through the use of light. Like Jakobides (see lot 101) and Gysis (see lots 32 & 36), and inspired by the paintings of Courbet, Lembessis depicted his subjects with absolute realism, using the inference of light and colour as his basic tool to render skin-tones.

Another bust length portrait of a woman by Lembessis is in the collection of the National Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens.

Related Literature:
Polychronis Lembessis, Portrait of a Lady in White Hat, National Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens