Konstantinos Maleas
Konstantinos Maleas (Greek Κωνσταντίνος Μαλέας, * 1879 in Constantine Opel, † 1928 in Athens ) was a Greek painter. He was one of the most important Greek late impressionists and is next to Konstantinos Parthenis as the father of modern art in Greece.
Life and work
Maleas was born in Constantinople Opel. It therefore did not come into contact with the academic approach to art of painting, which was mediated by the so-called School of Munich and Athens was predominant. At the age of 23 years Maleas traveled to Paris first to study architecture. He remained in Paris until 1908 and also studied with Henri Martin painting.
In 1913 he went to Thessaloniki, the city but left in 1918 to settle in Athens. In 1917 he became a member of the group of artists around Nikolaos Lytras, Konstantinos Parthenis, Pericles Byzantios, Theophrastus Triantaphyllides and Lykourgos Kogebinas that had set itself the goal of bringing modern painting to Greece.
Maleas made trips in Greece (Lesbos, Aitoloakarnanien, Peloponnese, Islands), to Western Europe, Palestine, and Egypt, where he painted some of his characteristic topographies.
Besides painting Maleas took part in the socio-political discussions of his time, and he spoke to the planned reforms of Venizelos. He wrote articles for newspapers and art magazines.
His work has been recognized early and appreciated. However, he died early, to sit without further artistic accents.
Maleas works was particularly influenced by the three major Late Impressionists Cézanne, Gauguin and van Gogh, as well as the symbolism and fauvism. His works, which are distinguished by their very bright colors and broad brushstrokes brought a revolutionary movement in the then academic painting Athens. Conservatives contemporary critics labeled Maleas works as strange in color and drawing. Only pictures Polites immediately recognized the value of Maleas work and recommended young painters to study with Maleas. Today, the works of Maleas seen as a key turning point of Greek painting to modern art.