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Lot 286
BEER,a collection of approximately sixty-five bottles of beers and ales from several different brewers including Ind Coope, Ansell's, Bass and Wrexham, many of the brews are commemorative or special editions, please be aware that all of these beers are 20-50 years old, together with a small number of spirit miniatures (3 boxes)
Lot 302
ALCOHOL, twenty-six bottles of assorted Spirit and Liqueurs to include Mount Gay Eclipse Barbados Rum, Bacardi Spice Amber Reserva Rum, Southern Comfort, Pernod, Pimm's No.1, Jose Cuervo Tequila, Fillier's Oude Granjenerva, Cinzano Bianco, Galliano Liquore, Bols Blue Curacao and others (includes smaller bottles) (26)
Lot 2003
Quantity of stoneware flagons '3887 Geo Alyiffe Wine & Spirit Merchant, Dursley', 'Dobell & Co, Cheltenham' and three small flagons marked 'Dursley Steam Brewery' and 'Aerated Water Company, Cirencester' and a Flowers Draught Beer advertising ceramic ashtray (9) Condition ReportGeo Aycliffe - H. 25cm - surface marks, accretions, chips and repair to the rim Aerated - chip to the rim Powell Bristol - H. 33.5cm - surface scratches and scuffs, accretions. Chips to the rim. Dobel - H. 31cm - surface marks and accretions. Chips to the rim. SRD - H. 33cm - surface scratches and scuffs, accretions. Chips to base. Tallest 33.5cm, smallest 18cm All with general wear and tear
Lot 20
Oval fruit vase, cut crystal in a silver frame, with two geometric silver handles. Laconic and austere silver, made in the spirit of late modernism, correlates well with the fabulous four-petal crystal ornament and the x-shaped flash motif. Hallmarks: F. LAURIER in Cyrillic, 84 silver standard next to a female head in a kokoshnik, turned to the left. Moscow sample of silver 1899-1908. Assay master Ivan Lebedkin. Length 43.5 cm. Total weight: 2837 gr. The well-known Moscow firm Laurier was founded in 1871. Fedor Antonovich Lorie from 1858 to 1920 owned a jewelry and silver factory. In 1895, he opened a jewelry store at Kuznetsky Most 4, across the wall from the Faberge store. The company produced silverware, household and interior items, various crystal frames and jewelry. The casting and embossing technique is used with the highest degree of skill, combined with the effects of a stamped ornament. Width: 21.5cm, Height: 43.5cm, Depth: 12cm, Weight: 2.837kg, Condition: Good, Material Silver 84, Crystal
Lot 7
Round, Russian, silver strainer with a handle, for brewing, with a comfortable finger holder, with enamel decor in the spirit of Russian Art Nouveau. Moscow, 11 Artel, 84 silver proof, 1908-1917. Painted with polychrome enamels in a floral pattern. Handle length 12 cm. Weight: 52 gr. Width: 8cm, Height: 12cm, Depth: 2cm, Weight: 0.052kg, Condition: Good, Material: 427
Lot 75
Samurai armor, Edo period. Consisting of: The Edo period (Jap. æ±Å¸æˆ¸æ™‚代 edo-jidai) is a historical period (1603-1868) of Japan, during the reign of the Tokugawa clan. It began with the appointment of Tokugawa Ieyasu as shogun in 1603. Completed by the removal of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1868. It is characterized as the time of the establishment of the Tokugawa dictatorship, at the same time as the transition from the medieval civil strife of the daimyo to a completely controlled country. During the Edo period, the formation of the Japanese spirit, the emergence of the national Japanese idea, the development of the economy and the bureaucracy took place. The Edo period is the golden age of literature and Japanese poetry, Matsuo Basho is the most prominent representative of the poetry of both the Edo period and Japanese poetry in general. As a result of the sakoku self-isolation policy, for almost the entire Edo period, the country was behind the Iron Curtain, without trading or communicating with other countries (a rare exception is China and the Netherlands). Width: 60cm, Height: 177cm, Depth: 54cm, Weight: 30kg, Condition: Good, Material: 201
Lot 76
Samurai armor, Edo period.Samurai armor, Edo period. Composed of: a bib - do, a plate skirt - kusazuri, leggings - a haidate plate skirt, sections of which could be tied around the hips, forming a kind of trouser leg, knee pads - tate-oge, leggings - suneate, shoulder pads - sode, bracers - kote, mittens - tekko (half-mittens) - as a rule, it was a plate (often in the form of a stylized palm), which is part of the kote and covers the back of the hand, the helmet is kabuto, the visor is the headband - mabizashi, the contour is koshimaki, a wide plate running along the lower edge of the helmet , back of the neck - shikoro, decoration - date, mask - mengu, on the chin (protection of the throat) - yodere-kake. The Edo period (jap. 江戸時代 edo-jidai) is a historical period (1603-1868) of Japan, the period of the rule of the Tokugawa clan. It began with the appointment of Tokugawa Ieyasu as shogun in 1603. It ended with the removal of the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1868. It is characterized as the time of the establishment of the Tokugawa dictatorship, simultaneously with the transition from medieval civil strife to a completely controlled country. During the Edo period, the formation of the Japanese spirit, the birth of the national Japanese idea, the development of the economy and bureaucracy took place. The Edo period is the golden age of literature and Japanese poetry, Matsuo Basho is the most prominent representative of both the poetry of the Edo period and Japanese poetry in general. As a result of the sakoku self-isolation policy, the country was behind the iron curtain for almost the entire Edo period,Condition: Good Material: Metal, Textile Product sizes: Height - 177cm width - 60cm Location: Gallery "Antiqon", Brivibas street 52, Riga, Latvia Warranty: Seller Warranty Country: Japan Period: 19th century
Lot 433
Vinyl Records 12" LP's. In excess of 30 records spanning Country, R&B, Blues, Soul, Funk and Reggae. To include - Johnny Cash 'At San Quentin', Bob Marley & The Wailers 'Buffalo Soldier' and Gerry and The Pacemakers 'How do you like it' and more. Items appear in good to excellent condition. (This does not constitute a guarantee).Condition Report: Concerning Boss Reggae, Crab Biggest Hits, I Feel The Spirit and A Dream: Sleeves are in good condition overall, no tears or splits, some creasing and light surface dirt / staining in areas. Vinyl: Boss Reggae - some light scratching, Crab - some light scratching, A Dream - some light scratching and Boss Reggae - some light scratching but more extensive than the others. Generally VG - G+
Lot 1168
A 1990's Bruce Oldfield embroidered jacket (UK size 14), a Spirit of the Andes alpaca cardigan (approx size 14/16), a green silk blouse (approx size 14/16), a lime green cotton jacket (approx size 14), and a Jaeger cotton shirt. (5 items). *CR: See images online. *BP 22.5% (18.75% plus VAT) plus a lot fee of £8 inc. VAT on each lot.
Lot 1552
A Victorian silver-mounted glass basket weave spirit flask, with screw-lock button cap and removeable beaker, by Thomas Goodfellow, hallmarks London 1888, patent no. 9617, height 13.5cmCap has 2 dents, beaker has personalised engraving, general wear to high points, no chips or cracks to glass, hallmarks rubbed
Lot 1553
A George V curved silver spirit flask, with screw-lock button cap and removeable beaker with gilt interior, by Marples & Beasley, height 13cm, 5.7ozNo damage or repairs, beaker has 1 small dent on front bottom left corner, very light abrasions all over, lock cap working, hallmarks clear and matching
Lot 1735
A George V silver kettle on stand, with ebonised handle and finial, by Harrison Brothers and Howson, hallmarks London 1910, overall height 32cm, with associated white metal spirit burner, 43oz grossNo damage or repair, kettle has burn mark to base from spirit burner, hinges working and pins present, hallmarks clear
Lot 1736
An Edwardian silver kettle on stand, possibly designed by Christopher Dresser for Goldsmith & Silversmiths Co Ltd, circular form with ebony handle and associated silver spirit burner, hallmarks London 1906, overall height 25cm, 31oz grossNo damage or repairs, teapot has a couple of tiny indentations on raised rim, spirit burner cover is lacking hinge pin, hallmarks rubbed
Lot 107
Spanish school; 19th century."Costumbrista scene".Oil on cardboard.Provenance: Private Collection of Luis García Berlanga.The frame is damaged.Measurements: 17 x 10 cm; 26,5 x 20,5 cm (frame).The new 19th century costume painting was born as a way of interpreting a growing feeling of national consciousness, now present in the middle class as it advanced towards social hegemony. To a certain extent, the painters' concern was to deepen the vision of their country through a language, that of painting, which everyone could understand, thus helping the common people to understand the nature and meaning of their nationality, especially as it had manifested itself in the recent past, still vivid in the memory of the elders. Of the two main schools of costumbrista painting in 19th-century Spain, the Sevillian and Madrid schools, the latter differs from the gentle picturesqueness of the former in its more pungent and harsh vision, sometimes going so far as to show not only the vulgar but even recreating the heartbreaking visions of a clichéd world of the working class, in which the spirit of criticism is evident.
Lot 37
WILLIAM ETTY (York, Great Britain, 1787 - 1849)."Young woman at Rest, 1828.Oil on canvas glued to panel.It has craquelure and restorations on the pictorial surface.There are losses and damage to the frame.Signed and dated in the lower right area.Measurements: 57 x 78 cm; 75 x 96 cm (frame).No British painter of historical subjects has devoted himself to the representation of the human form as assiduously as William Etty, and in particular to the female nude. Among his contemporaries, who marvelled at the depth and corporeality of his figures, he was known and highly praised for his ability to capture the human form and reproduce flesh tones. Etty was born in York and left school at the age of twelve to work as an apprentice in a print shop. He completed his apprenticeship after seven years and moved to London, where in 1807 he began training at the Royal Academy under Thomas Lawrence. Despite the admiration of his contemporaries for his technical skill, such as his friend John Constable, Etty struggled to gain public recognition early in his career, and it was not until 1821, with the exhibition of Cleopatra's Arrival in Cilicia (National Museums Liverpool) at the Royal Academy, that he finally received the acclaim he craved. Critics marvelled at Cleopatra's "languid, exuberant beauty" and described the painting as belonging to the "highest class" of art. Etty followed this success by exhibiting a succession of important mythological works over the next few years, which established Etty as one of Britain's most important historical painters in the early 19th century. With the advent of the twentieth century, Etty's important contribution to British art had been almost entirely forgotten, and an Arts Council exhibition in 1954 sparked only a brief revival of interest. Today, however, unfettered by the dictates of 19th century artistic discourse and morality, we can appreciate the beauty of Etty's art for what it is. As explored in the recent exhibition "William Etty: Art & Controversy" at the York Art Gallery, Etty's art was the result of a lifetime of serious engagement with the traditions of European painting, dedication to the study of the pattern of life, and commitment to an independent artistic spirit.
Lot 87
JOAN GARCÍA RIPOLLÉS, (Castellón, 1932)."Initiation to the observer", 1981.Oil on canvas.Provenance: Private Collection of Luis García Berlanga.Signed and dated in the lower left corner. Titled on the back.Measurements: 60 x 46 cm; 63,5 x 48,5 cm (frame).In this work Ripollés resorts to one of the most explored themes in the history of art, that of the bathers. Picasso's influence is evident in the work, both aesthetically and thematically, as the figure of the protagonist can be seen lying down like a Venus, who is contemplated by the figure of a man who is relegated to the right-hand corner of the composition and whose presence is barely noticeable. Known by his second surname or as "the Blessed Ripo", Joan García Ripollés discovered his passion for painting when, while still very young and in the midst of the post-war period, he began to work in an industrial painting workshop. From then on he devoted himself to painting at night, and later took drawing classes at the Ribalta secondary school in Castellón. After his debut in a group exhibition held in 1951 at the Caja de Ahorros de Castellón, 1954 was a turning point in his career, as a result of a trip to Paris where he made contact with the city's artistic circles. However, he was unable to give up industrial painting until 1958, when he joined the Drouand David gallery in Paris, one of the most prestigious in the world. He organised his first major solo exhibition at MACBA in 1962, and in 1967 he travelled to New York, where he exhibited and sold his entire collection to The William Haber Art Collection. That same year, the New York dealer Leon Amiel, of the Larrouse gallery, acquired all his work, something which was repeated on his trip to Japan. From that moment on he embarked on a dazzling international career that has taken his work all over the world. He has organised solo exhibitions not only in Spain, Paris and New York, but also in Mexico, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, various American cities, Germany and Japan. He is currently the exclusive artist of The William Haber Art in New York and the Galerie Drouand in Paris. In 2000 he was awarded the Premio de las Artes de la Comunidad Valenciana. Ripollés defines himself as an "immature adult" and, above all, "light-hearted, a little mischievous and with some naivety", words that reflect his exuberant creative spirit, his simple and extroverted character and his childlike soul. Ripollés is, today, one of the most international Spanish artists, and also one of the most complete, as he has worked brilliantly in painting, sculpture and engraving. He is represented in the IVAM, the MOMA in New York, the Museum of the University of Alicante, the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville and the MACBA.
Lot 88
JOAN GARCÍA RIPOLLÉS, (Castellón, 1932)."Woman", 1971.Mixed media on canvas.Presents the stamp of the Porcar Gallery (Castellón).Provenance: Luis de García Berlanga Private Collection.Signed and dated in the upper left corner.Measurements: 12 x 22 cm; 13,5 x 20 cm (frame).At the beginning of the 70's, Ripollés created this type of paintings with female protagonists much more stylised and with a symbolist character, as can be seen in his painting "Menina 2" from the year 70, where a similar aesthetic treatment to the one in the present work can be appreciated. Known by his second surname or as "the Blessed Ripo", Joan García Ripollés discovered his passion for painting when, while still very young and in the middle of the post-war period, he began to work in an industrial painting workshop. From then on he devoted himself to painting at night, and later took drawing classes at the Ribalta secondary school in Castellón. After his debut in a group exhibition held in 1951 at the Caja de Ahorros de Castellón, 1954 was a turning point in his career, as a result of a trip to Paris where he made contact with the city's artistic circles. However, he was unable to give up industrial painting until 1958, when he joined the Drouand David gallery in Paris, one of the most prestigious in the world. He organised his first major solo exhibition at MACBA in 1962, and in 1967 he travelled to New York, where he exhibited and sold his entire collection to The William Haber Art Collection. That same year, the New York dealer Leon Amiel, of the Larrouse gallery, acquired all his work, something which was repeated on his trip to Japan. From that moment on, he embarked on a dazzling international career that has taken his work all over the world. He has organised solo exhibitions not only in Spain, Paris and New York, but also in Mexico, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, various American cities, Germany and Japan. He is currently the exclusive artist of The William Haber Art in New York and the Galerie Drouand in Paris. In 2000 he was awarded the Premio de las Artes de la Comunidad Valenciana. Ripollés defines himself as an "immature adult" and, above all, "light-hearted, a little mischievous and with some naivety", words that reflect his exuberant creative spirit, his simple and extroverted character and his childlike soul. Ripollés is, today, one of the most international Spanish artists, and also one of the most complete, as he has worked brilliantly in painting, sculpture and engraving. He is represented in the IVAM, the MOMA in New York, the Museum of the University of Alicante, the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville and the MACBA.
Lot 89
JOAN GARCÍA RIPOLLÉS (Castellón, 1932)."Misa de música", 1969.Silkscreen on paper. Copy 1/30 P.A.Provenance: Private Collection of Luis García Berlanga.Signed, justified and located (New York).Measurements: 44 x 58 cm; 52,5 x 65,5 cm; 60 x 73 cm (frame).Known by his second surname or as "the Blessed Ripo", Joan García Ripollés discovered his passion for painting when, while still very young and in the middle of the post-war period, he started working in an industrial painting workshop. From then on he devoted himself to painting at night, and later took drawing classes at the Ribalta secondary school in Castellón. After his debut in a group exhibition held in 1951 at the Caja de Ahorros de Castellón, 1954 was a turning point in his career, as a result of a trip to Paris where he made contact with the city's artistic circles. However, he was unable to give up industrial painting until 1958, when he joined the Drouand David gallery in Paris, one of the most prestigious in the world. He organised his first major solo exhibition at MACBA in 1962, and in 1967 he travelled to New York, where he exhibited and sold his entire collection to The William Haber Art Collection. That same year, the New York dealer Leon Amiel, of the Larrouse gallery, acquired all his work, something which was repeated on his trip to Japan. From that moment on, he embarked on a dazzling international career that has taken his work all over the world. He has organised solo exhibitions not only in Spain, Paris and New York, but also in Mexico, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, various American cities, Germany and Japan. He is currently the exclusive artist of The William Haber Art in New York and the Galerie Drouand in Paris. In 2000 he was awarded the Premio de las Artes de la Comunidad Valenciana. Ripollés defines himself as an "immature adult" and, above all, "light-hearted, a little mischievous and with some naivety", words that reflect his exuberant creative spirit, his simple and extroverted character and his childlike soul. Ripollés is, today, one of the most international Spanish artists, and also one of the most complete, as he has worked brilliantly in painting, sculpture and engraving. He is represented in the IVAM, the MOMA in New York, the Museum of the University of Alicante, the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville and the MACBA.
Lot 15
Nikos Engonopoulos (Greek, 1907-1985)Irô et Leandros signé en grec et daté '53' (en bas à gauche)huile sur toile65 x 55.5cm (25 9/16 x 21 7/8in).Peint en 1953. signed in Greek and dated (lower left)oil on canvasFootnotes:ProvenanceGift of the artist in 1954 to Demetrios and Niki Andrikopoulos and hence by descent to the present owner.LittératureK. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Son Univers Pictural, exhibition catalogue and catalogue raisonée, Benaki Museum, Athens 2007, no. 474, p. 156 (illustrated), p. 282 (illustrated), p. 444 (catalogued and illustrated).A magician whose creative imagination followed the footsteps of gods and heroes, Engonopoulos couldn't but be fascinated by the love story of Iro and Leandros.According to the Hellenistic myth, Iro, a beautiful young girl from Sestos dedicated by her parents to Aphrodite's service, lived in an isolated tower by the shores of the Hellespont. The maiden's beauty increased with the years and the fame of her loveliness passed over the straits and reached Abydos, hometown of the brave and handsome Leandros. Eventually the two youths met at a solemn festival in honour of the goddess, fell in love, and Leandros vowed to swim to Iro's sea-girt tower when the shades of night had fallen. To guide him safely across the straits she would light a lamp and hold it aloft. And so, the secret lovers maintained their passion through many summer nights. But when winter came and the sea grew stormy, they should have refrained from lighting the lamp. Yet, love and destiny compelled them, and the fatal night arrived. Leandros struggled with the waves but his strength failed him—and Iro's lamp was blown out by the wind. When the grey morning dawned over the tossing sea, Iro saw him lying dead at the foot of the tower. Devastated, she threw herself into the waves and perished by her lover's side.1The story of Iro and Leandros is found in folk tales and love lyrics across Europe and beyond. It is also depicted on Pompeiian frescoes, on a mosaic and a relief found in Tunisia, and on coins of Abydos and Sestos, the towns at the beginning and end of Leandros's legendary journey. Centuries later, in 1810, Lord Byron, inspired by the story, achieved the hero's feat of swimming across the Hellespont. Three years later, he wrote the following lines from his The Bride of Abydos:'The winds are high on Helle's wave,As on that night of stormy waterWhen Love, who sent, forgot to saveThe young, the beautiful, the braveThe lonely hope of Sestos' daughter.'2Engonopoulos portrays the couple's encounter at Iro's stonewall tower by the sea.3 Leandros, waded knee deep into the wavy waters of Hellespont in a full body bathing suit, reaches towards his naked lover—in a manner highly reminiscent of Theofilos's representations of Erotocritos reaching the balcony of his beloved Aretousa—while the lamp,4 which is the confidant of their secret loving, presides over the scene. Drawn from the treasury of Greek mythology, this artistic vision faithfully reflects Engonopoulos's attitude towards painting as an ideal vehicle to probe into the world of Greekness. As noted by theatre director and playwright Alexis Solomos, 'Engonopoulos can merge symbols of different origin and character, yet what is more astonishing with him is the all-prevailing spirit of Greece in his work. Every point of the universe, every moment in history is detached, through a magic power, from its geographical or historical setting and made to contribute to the predominant idea of the artist's own land.'5 As noted by the late Athens National Gallery Director M. Lambraki-Plaka, 'Engonopoulos's figures may draw their origin from Giorgio de Chirico but they are unmistakably Greek, reminiscent of the Minoans immortalised on the Knossos frescoes and the early kouroi, while alluding to the tall and slender formula of the Byzantine saints also evident in El Greco's work.'6 1 See M. Grant, Myths of the Greeks and the Romans, Mentor editions, New York, 1962, pp. 373-378; H.A. Guerber, The Myths of Greece and Rome, London, 1921, pp. 89-94. See also K. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Mythology, Ypsilon editions, Athens 2006, p. 98. 2 Lord Byron, The Bride of Abydos, Canto the Second, I, 483-487.3 Compare Iro and Leandros, 1980.4 The lamp is a distinct and recurring theme in Engonopoulos's work with symbolic overtones (compare Hora ruit, 1939, Iro,1957, and Scholiasts of a future text, 1958 (sold by Bonhams, Greek Sale 24.11.21, lot 41).5 J. Lehman ed., New Writing and Daylight, New Direction editions, England 1946, p. 126.6 M. Lambraki-Plaka 'The Timeless Pantheon of Nikos Engonopoulos' [in Greek], Filologiki quarterly, no. 101, October-November-December 2007, p. 9.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 23
Theofilos Hadjimichael (Greek, 1871-1934)La bataille de Kalambaka inscrit en grec (en haut et en bas)pigments naturels sur zinc51 x 71.5cm (20 1/16 x 28 1/8in).inscribed in Greek (on the upper and lower part) natural pigments on zincFootnotes:*Veuillez noter qu'en raison de la réglementation grecque, ce lot ne peut pas être exporté de Grèce et sera disponible pour consultation et inspection à Athènes sur rendez-vous ou lors de l'exposition à Athènes, du 8 au 11 novembre 2022. Cette Å“uvre restera à Athènes pendant la vente aux enchères.*Please note that due to Greek regulation, this lot cannot be exported from Greece and will be available for viewing and inspection in Athens either by appointment or during the Athens Preview, 8-11 November 2022. This work will be located in Athens during the auction.ProvenanceT. Eleftheriadis collection, Petra, Mytilene, Greece. Acquired from the above collection by the present owner. ExpositionsMytilene, Tourist Pavilion, The Painter Theofilos on Mytilene, October 7-30, 1962, no. 17 (listed in the exhibition catalogue).Athens, Athens Art Gallery, Theofilos, May 12-31, 1975, no. 2 (listed in the exhibition catalogue). LittératureT. Spiteris, 'Works in the Collection of Takis Eleftheriadis - Petra, Mytilene', handwritten list, July 1955, no. 5 (listed).Anti magazine, vol. 2, no. 20, May 31, 1975 (discussed, p. 48 and illustrated, p. 49). Theofilos, Commercial Bank of Greece edition, Athens 1966, no. 298 (illustrated).E. Papazachariou, The Other Theofilos, Kaktos editions, Athens 1997, pp. 126-127 (discussed).Tony Spiteris Archive, Tellogleion Art Institute, Photographs of Works by Theofilos Hadjimichael, p. 7, no. GR TITSpit 101102_148.'When I saw the Takis Eleftheriadis1 collection of Theofilos paintings hanging in his ample home in Petra, Mytilene, I was left with the impression that every single one of them was first rate.'2 - Odysseus Elytis'Just look at these Meteora, painted on a sheet of zinc, with their warm pinks and light blues giving shape to the rocks, with the dark blues of the uniforms animating the Battle of Kalambaka—a highly sophisticated harmony in two colours with just a few touches of red at the tip of the rocks and the Turkish garb'.3 - Alexandros XydisCrowned by the otherworldly rocky outcrops and majestic byzantine monasteries of Meteora, and captured in a style reminiscent of the representational conventions used by Dimitrios/Panayotis Zografos and General Ioannis Makriyannis, the painting displays a battle scene between a Greek military unit formation on the left, led by a moustached officer on horseback, and a batch of Turkish troops on the right.Based on the artist's lengthy inscription that frames the composition, the picture shows the victorious Battle of Kalambaka in which the Greeks, led by chieftains Christodoulos Hadjipetros and Nikolaos Leotsakos, defeated a force of Turks and Arabs in 1854. The fact that the horse rider on the left, sporting a large moustache and raising his sword, may be identified with Colonel Constantinos Smolenskis, the legendary hero of the 1897 Greek-Turkish war, shows how Theofilos, with his instinctive knowledge and keen sense of historical past, could easily migrate from one era to another, capturing bygone glory and heroism as a form of eternity constantly reborn in the present. His subject is treated more as a backdrop, allowing him to express his fascination with the idea of gallantry and heroic achievement without having to succumb to historical accuracy.History is filtered through the artist's rich imagination and transformed into the enthusiasm sparked in him by the wealth of costumes, shinning flintlock muskets, fiery red fezzes and dazzling white fustanella kilts, the same highland garb the painter himself wore when he left Smyrna for Athens to voluntarily enlist in the 1897 campaign and which eventually became his signature attribute. Possibly, the Greek pallikare at the centre of the composition4 is a self-portrait since he holds the flag with his left hand.5 Gallantry is indicated through the repetition of pictorial and iconographic conventions, an approach to painting rooted in Byzantine and folk tradition and reminiscent of the Karaghiozi shadow-puppets or descriptions found in demotic songs. The wealth of detail is a vehicle of initiation into the artist's vision; a means of rendering more tangible to the spectators' imagination the world of bravery and legend they are invited to contemplate. Moreover, the linear arrangement, the symmetry and rhythm of the composition and the impression of an immutable reality, take us further back to Archaic Greek vase painting and the narrative arrangement of that precursor of folk poetry, the Homeric epics -where all parts are generally set side by side in a paratactical presentation. All phenomena are thrust forward to the narrative surface where they receive even illumination in a flat, continuous present.6 As noted by critic and writer Ronald Crichton, 'Theofilos presents an unconscious synthesis of the Greek spirit—a lesson to historians who wilfully separate the various periods of Greek history.'7 1 'A citizen of Mytilene, Mr. Eleftheriadis, father of the Parisian art critic and publisher Teriade, took a liking for Theofilos's work and company and introduced him to his son and to a small circle of writers and art lovers in the town. Theofilos was encouraged to come to Eleftheriadis's house in the olive groves on the slopes above the town, to paint and to talk.' R. Crichton, 'Theofilos' Orpheus, vol. 2, London 1949, p. 156.2 O. Elytis, The Painter Theofilos [in Greek], Asterias editions, Athens 1973, p. 56.3.A. Xydis, 'Fine Arts Chronicle', Anti magazine, vol. 2, no. 20, May 31, 1975, p. 48.4 The scene's main protagonist is depicted at the centre of the composition, where the viewer's eye is usually drawn, as is the case with Byzantine painting, which lacking a vanishing point, allows the eye to freely wander and naturally focus on the middle of the painting. See P.A. Michelis, Aesthetic Approach to Byzantine Art [in Greek], Panayotis end Efi Michelis Foundation, Athens 1990, p. 203.5 See E. Papazachariou, The Other Theofilos [in Greek], Athens 1997, p. 127.6 See H. Kambouridis - G. Levounis, Modern Greek Art - The 20th Century, Athens 1999, p. 43.7 Crichton, p. 151.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 32
Georgios Bouzianis (Greek, 1885-1959)Femme nue au chapeau rouge signé 'Busiany' (en bas à gauche); signé et daté 'Jo Busiany 1954'(au revers)huile sur toile115 x 76.5cm (45 1/4 x 30 1/8in).signed (lower left); signed and dated (on the reverse)oil on canvasFootnotes:ProvenanceThe artist's estate.ExpositionBrussels, Centre Culturel Mutualiste, Europalia 82, Giorgos Bouzianis, retrospective exhibition, September 1982. LittératureD. Deliyannis, Yorgos Bouzianis 1885-1959, Adam editions, Athens 1996, no. 191, p. 290 (catalogued), 140 (illustrated).'Bouzianis expressed a sensual joy in colour and form and a profound love for humanity which at first reminds one of the great Renoir. Whilst one can see the influence of the German expressionists, especially of Kokoschka and Jawlensky, Bouzianis was gentler and more compassionate. Most of his paintings are of single form, usually a partly clothed woman.In his draughtsmanship and handling of form he reveals his German inheritance. His colours, however, are entirely non-Teutonic. They sing their lovely gay hues, and it is a Mediterranean, Grecian song, full of sun and golden light. There is also a less easily defined pathos in the colour, for all its glowing beauty. In this mingling of joy and sadness, of sensuality, of movement and form, Bouzianis is a richly rewarding and complex artistic personality.' Charles S. Spencer, Studio magazine, London, 1960.1The nude woman in red hat, with her voluminous limbs and corporeal presence, fills the surface of the painting with a statuesque calm, generating tension between bodily volume and pictorial space in the vein of Picasso's 'classic phase', where the artist's predilection for plastic volumes in the treatment of the human figure was revived by his exposure to Greco-Roman sculpture. As keenly noted by Y. Tsarouchis, 'there is something classical in the works of Bouzianis, because for a Greek the classical is a natural state of mind.'2 Elaborating on this remark, Y. Psychopedis notes: 'Though he had assimilated the radical extremities of expressionism, Bouzianis transformed their pronounced gothic metaphysics to a discourse regarding the living human subject. His figures are tied to reality; they are not alienated as formless matter neither lose their identity becoming abstract, archetypal forms or nightmarish masks... His work emanates a nostalgia for the classical, a nostalgia for a lost and constantly sought balance.'3 A modern-day incarnation of eternal Venus or archetypal Eve, this starkly represented kore emerging from a shimmering ground of greens and purples becomes both a reflection of the sitter's inner life and the artist's intense response to the subject. Treated in a frank and direct manner and rendered explicitly in all its glory, the female nude—one of Bouzianis's favourite subjects after 1926—reflects the artist's firm belief that art should be a vehicle for emotional states rather than a process of beautification. Leaving clear traces of a vigorous painting process, the picture pulsates with strong feeling and crackling energy, yet is continuously subordinated to aesthetic demands and disciplined by artistic intelligence. This inexhaustible vitality and incessant pulsating rhythm animate every part of the canvas, making it look like a vibrating star bathed in its own light.4 1C.S. Spencer, 'George Bousianis', Studio magazine, London, vol. 159, no. 806, June 1960, p. 206.2 Y. Tsarouchis, preface to Bouzianis-Watercolours [in Greek], Agra-The Friends of Bouzianis edition, Athens 1982, p. 12. 3 Y. Psychopedis, 'The Militant Introversion, Expressive Lyricism and Critical Spirit in the Work of Bouzianis' [in Greek] in Nostos, Kedros editions, Athens 2009, pp. 228-229. 4 See G. Mourelos, 'Bouzianis's Technique' [in Greek], Kathimerini daily, Epta Imeres, October 27, 1996, p. 28.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
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