Bonhams “The Greek Sale” 13 Dec 2007 London | |
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Footnotes A distinguished portraitist, Regos "broke free from the confines of conservative, standardised portraiture to follow his personal vision, mastering the expressive potential of colour" 1 and conveying a deep love for humanity, which was a determining feature of his art throughout his career. When asked about his portraits, Regos used to say: "To do a portrait, a real portrait, there must be love or at least compassion." 2 A founding member of the revived 'Art Group' (Omas Techis) in the early 1930s and a prominent figure of Greek art, Regos effectively combined echoes of Byzantine icon painting with stylistic principles of modern art, developing a highly personal style which enriched tradition with the element of exploration. As a result, his enchanting and penetrating works, such as The student, venture beyond the specific3 and manage to alleviate realist directness with a strong lyrical element. 1. N. Misirli, 'The Painter Polykleitos Regos' [in Greek] in Polykleitos Regos, exh. cat., National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens 1980, pp. 11-12. | |
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