Bonhams spotlight on Greece
More than 200 paintings of Greek late 19th and 20th century art that will be auctioned off at a London-held Bonhams sale in mid-December will be on show until Thursday at the Herakleidon Experience in Visual Arts museum in Thiseion. Also included in the sale will be paintings of Greek-inspired themes by foreign artists. Overall, most of the sale’s paintings refer to the Greek landscape, tradition and history. Examples include «Shores of Tinos» painted by Nikolaos Lytras in 1923-1925 (estimated to be worth between 104,384 and 134,208 euros) or «Women Spinning Cotton» by Spyros Vassiliou, one of the artists of the Thirties Generation. The Vassiliou work is estimated to be worth between 44,736 and 59,648 euros. Among some of the most important works are «Spring» by the renowned late 19th century painter Nikolaos Gyzis, an allegorical, late work of the artist. The work belongs to the collection of Gyzis’s friend, the artist Edward Kurzbauer. The maritime painter Constantinos Volanakis, an artist from the so-called School of Munich’s late 19th century generation of academic Greek painters, is one of the most popular names at international auctions of Greek art. At the Bonhams sale, Volanakis’s «Casting the Nets» is estimated to be worth between 119,296 and 178,944 euros. The sale is the ninth auction that Bonhams has held on Greek art. It will be held at London’s Bonhams (101 New Bond Street) on December 12 and is organized in collaboration with Art Expertise. A London preview will be held from December 7-11. An Athens preview will be held at the Herakleidon museum (16 Herakleidon, Thiseion) through tomorrow. Info: Art Expertise, tel 210.363.6404, or visit www.bonhams.com.
