Special Information for the Artist
Aivali, Kydonies Asia Minor 1895 - 1965
Artist, author and intellectual in general, with many interests and concerns. Grew up at the Monastery of Aghia Paraskevi, Kydonies, and after graduating from the secondary school in Aivali, came to Athens in 1912 where he was accepted into the third year of the School of Fine Arts, and studied under Jakobides, Kaloudis, Roilos and Geraniotis. After graduating in 1914, he went to France and Spain and in 1916 contributed to the magazine Illustration. In 1919 he returned to Aivali where he established the intellectual association 'New People'. Between 1920 and 1922 he was appointed teacher of French language and History of Art at the girls school. After the disaster of Asia Minor in 1922 he went to Mytilini and then to Athens. In 1923 he visited Mt. Athos. In the years that followed he distinguished himself in every type of activity. He introduced a personal artistic idiom into religious painting, in which certain aspects of the Byzantine tradition are combined with his own personal inventions. He played a decisive role in turning hagiography towards more extensive use of Byzantine art forms, in particular elements from Asia Minor icons and from frescoes of Mystra and Mt. Athos. He also worked as a restorer of Byzantine works.
