Nicholas Gysis

In the present work, Gysis takes an intimate scene from everyday Greek life and imbues it with rich materiality gleaned from European artistic practice and traditional iconography. The skill visible in Gysis' amalgamation make this work universally familiar, yet poignantly and pointedly illustrates the Hellenic daily life that so captivated the artist.

The jewel-toned palette, filled with luxuriant burgundy and Prussian blue, and the intensity of the chiaroscuro, combined with the private nature of the scene and the young woman's exposed flesh, are reminiscent of the Baroque sensibility and subject matter (fig. 1).

However, in the case of the present work, it is the viewer who is in the position of a voyeur, observing a private moment as the young woman concentrates on washing herself. The indistinct silhouette of her village can be seen in the distance, and the discarded pile of clothing next to her implies that she has finished her laundry and is cleaning herself in preparation for her return.

The modernism of this work is encapsulated in its realism, evident in the completely true-to-nature and un-idealised form of the young woman. Her sheet of burnished auburn hair and glowing fair skin enhance the earthy sensuality of the scene, and the erotic frisson of the girl's languid and intimate action are testament to the international impact made by the work of French Realists such as Courbet.


FIG. 1, Jan van Noordt, Susannah and the Elders, ca. 1670, oil on canvas, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco
260L09662_comp