Artworks under the hammer
Works by Greek, European and philhellene artists stemming from the 19th and the 20th centuries are going on sale at an auction at Zappeion Hall tomorrow. Organized by the Christou auction house, the event is schedule to take place at 7 p.m. The first part of the Zappeion auction is dedicated to works of European provenance, objects originally produced during the period from the end of the 19th century up to the first half of the 20th century. These include Iznik tiles, gold-plated pocket watches, a selection of bronze sculptures executed by Charles Gabriel Lemire, Carl Dorm and Hippolyte Francois Moreau and Auguste Moreau, among others, along with French decorative table clocks, an elaborate Indo-Persian steel helmet, an ivory sculpture representing Saint George as well as a number of lithographs. Also participating in the first part of the upcoming auction is a series of Balkan and Greek works, along with a collection of well-crafted weapons showcasing 19th-century carving: Ottoman, Balkan and Greek «giatagania» swords, muzzleloaders (highlights in this section include two wonderful silver pieces from Souli, in Thesprotia), as well as flintlock guns. There are also select decorative pieces as well as jewelry that was originally part of Greek folklore costume, including an embroidered close-fitting woolen dress from a Zagori garment, a breast jewel from Thrace, silver-carved «kemeri» belts, an engagement belt from Souli and an Ottoman tobacco box made of hand-woven silver fibers. The second part of the auction is dedicated entirely to paintings. The event presents works by artists including Dimitrios Gioldasis, Spyridon Papanikolaou and Vassilios Hatzis, all of whom were inspired by the Greek and European masters of their time. Also going on sale are works by contemporary artists, such as Sotiris Sorongas, Alekos Fassianos, Marios Prasinos and Achilleas Aivazoglou. There are also works by artists Dimitris Tiniakos, Manos Sofianos, Loukas Geralis, Charalambos Potamianos, Aimilios Prosalentis and others. On the European front, the auction includes works by Emile Godchaux, Edward Pail, Marcel-Paul Meys and H. Otto Ruger. In anticipation of tomorrow’s event, the works and objects to go under the hammer will be on display at Zappeion Hall. The evening’s auctioneer will be Yiannis Tagaris. For more information, contact Christou Auctions (tel 210.364.6750, 7 Pindarou & Alexandrou Soutsou, Kolonaki).
