Gyzis painting back in public eye after 100 years
Sotheby’s has announced the discovery of a new, rare painting by the late 19th century painter Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901). «Grandfather and Grandchild,» which is the title of the painting, shows a seated old man sewing a pair of socks and holding a baby on his lap. The painting was known to exist, however, its whereabouts were unknown for the past 100 years. It was discovered in a private art collection in Nebraska and will be included in Sotheby’s «Greek Sale» to be held in London, on November 14. The work is typical of the genre and family scenes that Gyzis painted. Another version of the same scene belongs to a private art collection in Athens. Sotheby’s has sold similar family scenes by Gyzis in prior sales. Sotheby’s experts note the skill with which the painter has rendered different textures (the skin of the old man and of the baby, the wooden floor and the textiles) and has captured light. The painting (77.5×62.3 cm) is dated from the beginning of the 1880s – supposedly the period when Gyzis produced his best works – and is signed on the bottom left side. It is estimated that it will fetch 294,000 to 441,000 euros and is supposed to be one of the most prized works in the upcoming November sale. Sotheby’s experts also list other paintings among the sale’s highlights. One is Yiannis Tsarouchis’s «The Painter and his Model.» The painter is seen from the back seated in front of a canvas. The setting is the artist’s atelier and the model who poses in front of him is «Dominic,» one of Tsarouchis’s favorite male models from the 1970s. It is the same man depicted in Tsarouchis’s well-known allegorical work known as «The Four Seasons.» «The Painter and his Model» is considered to be one of the artist’s strongest works and it is estimated that it will fetch 148,000 to 222,000 euros. Another highly prized piece is «Turkish Plunder,» a work that late 19th century painter Thodoros Rallis made in the spirit of «Orientalism.» Its estimate is put at 438,870 to 731,450 euros. «Summer» a triptych painted by the Thirties Generation painter Yiannis Moralis is also important, and estimated at 292,539 to 438,870 euros. The upcoming sale is part of the «Greek Sale» auctions that Sotheby’s holds twice a year. The most recent one was held in May and fetched the record price of 11 million euros. For more information call 210.628.1800 or 0044.207.293.6000 or go to www.sothebys.com.
