Nymph and Eros (1897) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
By the end of the 19th century Symbolism spread throughout Europe functioning as an antidote to the prosaic character of Realism.
It was inspired by those forces which had once been activated by Romanticism: dream, fantasy, poetry and ideas. Such artistic themes now became symbols of a content that referred to another reality.
The Spider (1884) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
Content and form aspired to lure the viewer into emotional participation, to commune with poetry and mystery.
The term Symbolism was introduced in the literary circles by the manifesto of the Greek poet Jean Moréas, which was published in Paris in 1886, while in painting it had emerged earlier.
The Glory (1898) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
The entire repertory of the thematic, morphological and expressive content of Symbolism can be traced in the mature work of Gysis.
His idealism, nourished by the nostalgia for an ideal Greece, would lead his work, during the closing three decades of the century, to lofty conceptions fitting for a Greek, which were incorporated into the broader movement of European symbolism.
Art and its Spirits (1876) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
One of Gyzis' earliest paintings of a symbolic nature. The main figure in Art and its Spirits is that of a beautiful winged girl, an angel playing the violin. The reason is perhaps that Gyzis considered music as a superior form of art.
The other arts are embodied by the little Erotes (putti), surrounding her like a swarm of bees, playing with the tools of various arts.
The purple skirt of the main figure, pouring down like a river, dominates the composition. Upon closer look, the composition appears to be organized on the diagonal defined by the movement of the little angels and two arches.
Spring Symphony (1886) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
His compositions refer us to a higher spiritual sphere and are strongly suggestive of music made with purely plastic means (Gysis adored Beethoven), as it is evident in his painting, Spring Symphony, 1886.
The Archangel, Study for "The Grounding of Faith" (1895) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
Towards the end of his life, Nikolaos Gyzis had strong religious and metaphysical feelings and questions in the latter part of his life.
Behold the Bridegroom (1899/1900) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
It is in this context that the magnificent, transcendental work on the Second Coming was born.
Behold the Bridegroom (1899/1900) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
The artist did many studies in preparation for this work. Some of them, verging on the abstract, their protagonist being the light, are on display adjacent to this work.
Behold the Bridegroom (1899/1900) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
Christ appears on the throne, illuminated against a golden-purple background. Golden clouds form homocentric circles around him. Golden rays emanate from the figure of Christ across the entire work.
Behold the Bridegroom (1899/1900) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
The Coming of the Saviour is heralded by four angels with trumpets, while Archangel Gabriel is flying above on the top of the composition. Myriads of angels are kneeling on the great staircase which frames the scene, leading to Christ, celebrating his coming.
Behold the Bridegroom Arriving (1899-1900) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
The work is also inspired by the Apocalypse of St John, but Gyzis, as he wrote in a letter, did not see Christ as a punisher and avenger, but as a sweet god who came to bring to the world light, salvation and comfort.
Study for the Head of "Crafts" (1895/1899) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
Around the same time, Symbolism is sometimes fused with another formalistic current: Art Nouveau.
Study for the Allegorical Figures following the Chariot ("Industry", "Trade", the "Crafts") (1895/1899) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
The Art Nouveau style, which influenced all the arts throughout Europe, is characterized by flat forms and marked decorative qualities with a particular preference for floral motifs and curved lines.
The Apotheosis of Bavaria (1895/1899) by Gyzis NikolaosNational Gallery of Greece - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
Nevertheless, Gysis did not allow this unhealthy graphism to undermine his vigorous and manly style, except in rare cases, and especially in his graphic arts work, which is important.
The Art Nouveau style would achieve great success in Greece at the turn of the century and would maintain its resistance for a long time, even until the period between the wars.
Texts: Marina Lampraki-Plaka, Professor Emeritus of the History of Art, ex-Director, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum, Athens
Project leader: Efi Agathonikou, Head of Collections Department, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum, Athens
Images: Stavros Psiroukis & Thalia Kimpari, Photographic Studio, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum, Athens
Digital curation: Dr. Alexandros Teneketzis, Art Historian & Marina Tomazani, Art Historian, Curator, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
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