Special Information for the Artist
Sklavochori Tinos, March 1, 1842 - Munich, 22 December 1900 (or January 4, 1901 with the new calendar)
Nikolaos Gizis was one of six children of a carpenter Onoufrios Gizis Gizis and Margaret, nee Psaltis, who lived in Sklavochori of Tinos. In 1850, his family moved to Athens and little Nicholas began attending classes at the School of Fine Arts (later the School of Fine Arts), first as a listener, and from 1854 to 1864, as a regular student.
By the end of his studies, he met a rich art lovers Nicholas Nazou, via which received a grant from the charitable institutions of the Church of Evaggelistrias of Tinos, in order to continue his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In June 1865, Gizis arrived in Munich, where he met his colleague and friend Nikiforos Lytras. The latter helped him to acclimatise quickly to the hard German environment. First teachers in Munich were Ansouts Hermann (Hermann Anschütz) and Alexander Wagner (Alexander Wagner). In June 1868 he was admitted to the laboratory of Carl von Pilot (Karl von Piloty).
Nikolaos Gizis, The betrothed (1875). Oil on canvas, 104 x 156 cm from the National Gallery of Greece – Alexander, Soutzos Museum. He completed his studies in Munich in 1871 and in April 1872 he returned to Athens to transform the family home on the road Themistocles in his studio. Along with Nikiforos Lytras, travelled in 1873 in Asia Minor. Frustrated by the conditions of Greece, in May 1874 left Athens and returned to Munich, where he was to live for the rest of his life. In 1876, he traveled along with Nikiforos Lytras Paris. A year later he married Diana Nazou, with whom he had four daughters - Penelope (born 1878, died just twelve days), Penelope Margaret (b. 1879), Margaret (b. 1881) and Ifigenia (b. 1890) - and a son - the Onoufrio-Telemachus (b. 1884).
In 1880 was named an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and in 1888 was elected a professor in that institution. In 1881 his mother died and after a year died and his father. In 1895 he visited last time in Greece, which never forgot and always nostalgia. Insulted from leukemia, died in Munich in early 1901. Said that his last words were: "Well let elpizomen and we aim to be gay we are!" The corpse was buried at North Cemetery Munich.
Nikolaos Gizis is one of the leading representatives of the academic realism of the late 19th century, “The conservative art movement” known as the "Munich School", both in Greek and across Europe. Participated and won in many Greek and European reports, from 1870 to 1900. Indeed, after his death in 1901 was honored with an exhibition of works of the 8th International Art Exhibition of Glaspalast.
Student at the Munich Academy, endorsed by all authorities of the German teachers of constructing projects of rare skill within the bounds of historical realism and genre painting. In his works - especially those of youth - was described as Germans "and praised by more than the critics and the press of the time.
Two large "German" works - the liberal arts and the spirits of artistic crafts, decorating the roof of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Kaiserslautern (1878-1880), and the triumph of Bavaria, who decorated the auditorium of the Museum of Decorative Arts Nuremberg (1895-1899) - destroyed during the Second War Pagk. Some projects, such as the betrothed (1875) and “The secret school” (1885, collection Emfietzoglou), based on oral legends of the era of Ottoman rule, which correspond to historical reality is at present, but it certainly reduces the artistic value of these projects.
Nikolaos Gizis, History (1892). Oil on canvas, 89 cm diameter. Private collection. Deeply religious man, later turned to the metaphysical and allegorical scenes. The so-called 'religious' works, most feature table Behold the Bridegroom comes (1895-1900, National Gallery of Greece - Alexander Soutsou Museum), represent the aspirations of the mature artist and unequivocally declare the existential agony. Theme of mature projects was the struggle against evil and the final victory of Good. The most important form in these works is the woman who sometimes appears as art, sometimes as a musician, sometimes in spring, sometimes as Glory, etc. Modern scholars distinguish his work that in at least known works, especially in his designs in charcoal and chalk, Gizis gives an expressionistic tendency to release the academic realism. Gizis also created posters and illustrated books.
