Footnotes
A tender and intimate portrait, The student is as much a captivating rendition of childhood as a reflection of the artist's subjective eye probing into the inner world of his sitter. Bold colours, confident brushstrokes, strong outlines and dynamic forms analyzed into simple planes betray both the artist's emotional response and the child's restless energy lurking behind a seemingly relaxed posture and cool expression.

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.
2. See E. Kaplani-Kokkini, Portraits of Polykleitos Rengos (1925-1984) , exh. cat., Municipal Art Gallery (27th Dimitria Festival), Thessaloniki, 1992, p. 34.
3. See C. Christou in Polykleitos Regos, p. 22.