Thanassis Stephopoulos

Thanassis Stephopoulos
Thanassis Stephopoulos
	Thanassis Stephopoulos in his hometown Amfissa
Born	Thanassis Stephopoulos; 1 June 1928; Amfissa, Phocis
Died	29 December 2012 (aged 84); Athens, Greece
Nationality	Greek
Known for	Painting

Thanassis Stephopoulos (Greek: Θανάσης Στεφόπουλος, 1 June 1928 – 29 December 2012) was one of Greece's most important 20th-century painters, teachers and philosophers of art. He was famous for his works, representing a genre of painting which he had introduced, the abstract landscape painting. He was one of the most important representatives of the so-called Modern Greek art.

Early life and education

Thanassis Stephopoulos was born in Amfissa, Phocis. His father, who was a self-taught iconographer,^[1] died in 1931. In 1946 completed his school studies while attending the preliminary section of the Athens School of Fine Arts with professors Dimitrios Biskinis and Pavlos Mathiopoulos, and in 1947 with Yiannis Moralis.

From 1947 on, he continuously showed his work to Spyros Papaloukas and Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, from whose advice/guidance he benefited greatly. In 1952 he received a painting diploma with two honors "Outdoors" and a "Certificate of the Theoretical and Historical Lessons". From 1952 to 1954 he attended classes in engraving by the master Giannis Kefallinos, one of the most important Greek art teachers.

In May 1954, he received a scholarship from the University of Athens for two years and from 1956 to 1957 a scholarship from the State Scholarship Foundation^[2] and continued his studies in Paris.

First Period

In Paris, he studied painting at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts from 1954 to 1957 under the direction of Maurice Brianchon. Alongside, during 1954 and 1955, he studied lithography with professor René Jaudon. From 1955 to 1957 at the École pratique des hautes études he studied architectural analysis of the ancient Greek style and anecdotal evidence for Delphi with professor Pierre de La Coste-Messelière who was also the department manager. In 1958 he attended the first and second year of studies at the École du Louvre and also the general history of art.

Having studied for many years in Greece and abroad, with guidance from important artists he continued until 1964. The resulting sensory perception in this first period of his work is the series of Nature morte, which were exposed for the first time in France at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, in Salon d'Automne at Grand Palais, at Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen and elsewhere. Many art critics have studied his paintings and in the newspaper Beaux-Arts^[3] M.Sauriere wrote: "...la belle nature morte aux oiseaux noirs de Stephopoulos..."

Second Period

In the second period he was evidently in search of freedom. This search is interpreted in the re-composition of plastic elements of the painting, creating new pictures in the spirit of abstraction. These quests, which started in 1959, and lasted for over ten years, were exposed for the first time in 1960 in individual exhibitions on "New Forms"^[4] and "Astor". Abstraction will henceforth affect in different ways his work until the end.

Third Period

In the third period there are elements from his previous work, featuring himself and his motion. In the latter period, overcoming difficulties and arbitrariness that we meet to divide the life and work of an artist into periods, accumulating plastics expressing contemplation, soul searching, contemplation, usually creating three zones which remind us of the counterpoint in music.^[5]^{[clarification needed]} Thus creating his own artistic space.

Works from the Third Period

"After the battle, pheasant" by Thanassis Stephopoulos (Charcoal drawing - 1995)
"Birds" by Thanassis Stephopoulos (Charcoal drawing - 1996)
"Feedback of art" by Thanassis Stephopoulos (Oil - 2004)
"Asian Yellow" by Thanassis Stephopoulos (Oil - 2005)
"Influential analogy" by Thanassis Stephopoulos (Oil - 2007)

Ηonorary awards

In the festive meeting of the Academy of Athens on 28 December 2006, he was awarded the Prize of the Order of Letters and Fine Arts, for his total contribution to the Greek art.^[6]
In the Third International Art Biennale of Beijing in 2008, China, themed "Colors of Olympism",^[7] he was awarded the “Excellent Work Award”, for his work “Aegean”.^[8]

Exhibitions

Exhibitions Attended (Most important of them):

1956, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France
1956, Salon d'Automne Gran Palais, Paris, France
1958, 2nd Mediterranean Biennale of Alexandria, National Mission, Egypt
1959, 10th Salon de la Jeune Peinture, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France
1962, Greek Painters and Sculptors, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France
1966, Greek Artists, Gallery Newburgh, London, UK
1974, C.N.A. Gallery, Chicago Illinois, US
1975, Biennale São Paulo, National Mission, Brazil
1978, Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen, Stuttgart, Germany, organized by the National Gallery of Athens
1988, By the occasion of the Greek Presidency of EEC, paintings which belong to the Greek National Gallery of Athens, Brussels
1994, National Gallery of Athens,^[9] Greece
1996, “Navy Week”, Βattleship Averof, Athens, Greece
2008, “Contemplation of the Aegean”,^[10] Multiplex "Apollon", Piraeus, Greece
2010, "35 Artists exposing their works on World Poverty", UNESCO, Athens, Greece^[11]

Bibliography

Printed Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia Pyrsos (In Greek: ΠΥΡΣΟΣ), 1957 and 3rd Additional Issue 1960
Modern Encyclopedia Eleftheroudakis (In Greek: Ελευθερουδάκη), 3rd Volume, Issue 11
Encyclopedia Helios (In Greek: Ήλιος), έκδοση 1979
Soviet Encyclopedia, Volume 32, 1981
Encyclopedia Papyrus-Larousse-Britannica, Volume 55, page 242, 1996
Encyclopedia Papyrus-Britannica, 2nd Print, Volume 48, 2007, page 901, 1975

Books

Encyclopedia of Greek Artists, Melissa Publications, 3rd Volume, July 1976
Encyclopedia of Greek Artists, Melissa Publications, Volume 4
Physiognomy of Greek Art, Kedros publications, Helen Vacalo 1981, Volume 1: Abstraction in Greek Art and Volume 2: Expressionism in Greek Art
The Decalogue of Virtuoso, pages 47–51, Boukouvalas J., 1981
'The History of Amphissa, D. Kravartogiannos, pages 470–473, 1997
The History and Culture of the Greek Nation from the Beginnings to the Present, Papyrus Publications, 1998
The Sea in Modern Painting, A, Ioannides, Municipal Gallery of Patras, 1999
Encyclopedia of Greek Artists, Melissa Publications, New Edition, 2000
Four Centuries of Greek Painting, Μ. Labraki-Plaka, National Gallery, pages 248–251, 2000
Ellinomouseio, Six Centuries of Greek Painting, Manos Stefanides, page 265, 2001

Newspapers

Art (Newspaper in Greek: Εφημερίδα τέχνη), July 1958
Inspection of art, Issue 136, page 472, April 1966
Apogeymatini (Newspaper in Greek: Απογευματινή), 1970
Media News, Issue 35, November 1970
Pantheon (journal), 20 December 1973
Aygi (Newspaper in Greek: Αυγή), Face to face, 30 March 1980

Television

Interview in Ε.Ι.Ρ.Τ. with S. Linardatos, November 1973
«The Age of Images» in ΕΤ1 with Κ. Zaharopoulou, 7 June 2005
«Has Taste» in ΕΤ1 with B. Tsoukala, 8 July 2006
«Roads» in ΕΤ1 with A. Skiadopoulos, 19 March 2007^[12]
Radio interview for www.pireasnews.gr with Κ. Drakou, 2008

External links

About his exhibitions:

Honoree:

About his honorary prizes:

Biographies:

About pictures:

http://www.filotexnos.gr/stefopoulos-athanasios.php

Poem inspired from his work:

http://dornac.over-blog.com/article-nikos-kavvadias-fata-morgana-52428940.html

About his death:

Various info:

References

^ Stephopoulos, Andreas. "Holy Forty Martyrs".
^ "State Scholarship Foundation of Greece".
^ "Salon des artistes associes". Beaux-Arts. 28 February 1956.
^ Stephopoulos, Thanassis (1960). "Solo Exhibition".
^ "Professor of Fine Arts Papaloukas had singled out for his work, saying he excelled musicality, class and architecture". Ert-Online. Retrieved 23 October 2007.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Academy of Athens Award". Archived from the original on 2 July 2013.
^ Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "3rd Biennale in Beijing Award".
^ "Third Beijing International Art Biennale 2008, Excellent Work Award". Aegean. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
^ Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "National Art Gallery". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
^ Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "Solo Exhibition". Archived from the original on 2 July 2013.
^ Stephopoulos, Thanassis (April 2010). "35 Artists exposing their works on World Poverty" (PDF). UNESCO.
^ "Thanassis Stephopoulos". Ert-Archives. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014.

[1] Stephopoulos, Andreas. "Holy Forty Martyrs".

[2] "State Scholarship Foundation of Greece".

[3] "Salon des artistes associes". Beaux-Arts. 28 February 1956.

[4] Stephopoulos, Thanassis (1960). "Solo Exhibition".

[5] "Professor of Fine Arts Papaloukas had singled out for his work, saying he excelled musicality, class and architecture". Ert-Online. Retrieved 23 October 2007.^{[permanent dead link]}

[6] "Academy of Athens Award". Archived from the original on 2 July 2013.

[7] Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "3rd Biennale in Beijing Award".

[8] "Third Beijing International Art Biennale 2008, Excellent Work Award". Aegean. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.

[9] Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "National Art Gallery". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2013.

[10] Stephopoulos, Thanassis. "Solo Exhibition". Archived from the original on 2 July 2013.

[11] Stephopoulos, Thanassis (April 2010). "35 Artists exposing their works on World Poverty" (PDF). UNESCO.

[12] "Thanassis Stephopoulos". Ert-Archives. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014.

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