NIKOS ENGONOPOULOS

(1907-1985)

Paysage

Footnotes

Littérature
K. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Son Univers Pictural, exhibition catalogue and catalogue raisonée, Benaki Museum, Athens 2007, no. 202, p. 241 (illustrated), p. 409 (catalogued, discussed and illustrated).


A remarkable recent find, Paysage showcases the painter's life-long fascination with Greek architecture. As noted by his first wife, artist Nelli Andrikipoulou, "these works were such accurate representations and, at the same time, personal interpretations of reality that [the architect] Dimitris Pikionis justly called them 'psychographs of buildings'. They truthfully reflect Engonopoulos's inner beauty and graciousness."¹

Captured in fiery red and diligently rendered, the stately mansion—a characteristic example of late Athenian neoclassicism²—dominates the left part of the painting, while on the right middleground an enigmatic gate-like structure with a yellow curtain thrown over it conveys a pronounced sense of theatricality. As noted by art historian P. Rigopoulou, the artist never hesitated to explore the correlations between theatrical and pictorial space and introduce the theatrical into his painting.³

¹. N. Andrikopoulou, "Unknown Aspects in the Life and Work of Nikos Engonopoulos" [in Greek], Lexi magazine, no.77, September 1988, p. 654.
². See E. Benisi, Nikos Engonopoulos and Cityscapes [in Greek], doctoral dissertation, vol. 1, Athens 2002, p. 79.
³. P. Rigopoulou, "Nikos Engonopoulos" in D. Tsouchlou - A.Bacharian, Stage-Setting in Modern Greek Theatre [in Greek], Athens 1985, p. 141.