Alecos Kontopoulos

In the present work, successive layers of pigment, varied textures and a concise brushstroke are testament to Kontopoulos' practiced knowledge of the analysis of form, as well as the masterful development of colour relations.  In his work, Kontopoulos '... builds up an abstract composition of capacious geometric forms distributed along vertical or horizontal axes (reminiscent of his studies in ancient Greek art)...' (quoted in Modern Greek Art. The 20^th Century, Athens, 1999, p. 154). Another reference to the artist's studies in ancient Greek art lies in the subject, which is reminiscent of the Parthenon.

Kontopoulos' contribution to the development of abstraction within the Greek visual canon was considerable, and his pioneering interest in non-objective representation was groundbreaking in the midst of the monopoly of the Thirties Generation's preoccupation with figuration and defining 'Greekness.'

Though Kontopoulos' outlook was international, encouraged by his studies in France between 1930-1932 and 1935-1939, Greek culture was a recurring source of inspiration for him, the present work representing one of the country's most perfect symbols.