Constantinos Parthenis

The present work forms part of a series of works for Athens City Hall, commissioned by the Metaxas government in 1939. Parthenis executed many preliminary drawings for this decorative scheme, as well as plans for their final installation before abandoning the project, which was eventually taken over by Gounaropoulos. The other two related scenes, The Virgin and Child and The Crucifixion are currently in the collection of the National Gallery and Alexandros Sountzos Museum Athens. The present work is the only example still in private hands.

The Resurrection is an exquisite example of Parthenis' use of non-perspectival space, inspired by Byzantine icon painting and other two-dimensional compositional elements derived from ancient Greek vase paintings and folk art. Parthenis here offers his own interpretation of the subject, with radiating lines from the tomb (echoed by the Roman soldiers' spears) and colours at once joyful and ethereal, imbuing the work with the mysticism typical of his mature work. Without the staff common in traditional depictions, Christ's arms are free to express majesty and serenity.

Parthenis's work was tremendously significant in the development of twentieth century Greek art. As a prominent member of the Omni Techni group of 1917 he was responsible, along with Constantinos Maleas, for introducing light and colour into Greek painting. With this movement and the influence that Parthenis exerted as Professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1929-1947, the lingering influences of German academicism were finally banished from Athens' artistic circles, and a new path was laid, paving the way for experimentation in form and colour previously untried in Greek art.