Nicos Hadjikiriakos Ghika

The present work is an example of Ghika's lyrical depictions of the Greek landscape he so admired, with the introduction of a sinuous line and lyrical dynamic. Labyrinthine branches and vines coil around bulbous, contorting tree trunks, fighting against the imposed borders of the canvas. This pulsing and contorted landscape is a familiar idiom in the oeuvre of Ghika, but his distinctively poetic geometry is cast aside for an even more emotional and directly descriptive rendering.

The subjects and style of much of Ghika's work as well as his position as a leading figure of the Thirties Generation was a celebration of Greek culture and history; he drew his inspiration from ancient Mediterranean civilizations first and foremost, with Far Eastern art, Byzantine mosaics and cubism also holding great importance to the artist. This depiction of an olive tree is a contemporary commemoration of the natural elements seen in his native land as well as a time-honoured symbol seen throughout Greece's myth and history.

The present work was very likely painted during Ghika's stay in Athens; in a Greek founding myth, or aition, Athena usurped the patronage of Athens from Poseidon with the gift of the olive tree, leading tradition to dictate that the olive first grew in that city. The evergreen featured in Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad, and its wood was used in the manufacture of the revered Greek cult figures xoana while its oil, considered sacrosanct, was used to anoint kings and athletes of ancient Greece and burnt in sacred lamps in temples. While the olive leaf is an emblem of purification and benediction in addition to a symbol of peace and abundance, it was used to crown the victors of brutal wars and friendly competitions. Greece's rich history is inexorably intertwined with that of the olive tree, and Ghika's elegant homage to this simple plant bears testament to its importance and beauty.