Description
In 1913 Maleas returned to Greece, initially in Thessaloniki and then based in Athens. In 1917 Maleas became founding member of the avant-garde art group Ομάδα Τέχνη, which imported the international contemporary art movements of the time to Greece.
Konstantinos Maleas travelled extensively in Greece, Western Europe, Palestine and Egypt where he drew some of the subjects for his famous landscapes. Apart from painting, he was also involved in public discussion of the modernisation of the Greek language.
Konstantinos Maleas was a friend of Glenos, Delmouzos and Triantafylidis. He illustrated the first alphabet book in the new modern Greek language Demotiki, and wrote articles for newspapers such as Nouma, Elefthero Vima, as well as writing for a number of art journals.
Maleas was recognised for his artistic contribution by the Greek Government, which awarded him its ‘Highest Acknowledgement of Letters and Arts’.
Work:
Maleas work was influenced by the work of Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and by the art movements of symbolism, impressionism and fauvism.
His paintings are characterised by very light and bright colours, the large brushes that revolutionalised the stagnant Athenian art of the time. Most art critics condemned his work , and it was only Fotos Politis that recognised the value of Maleas’s work, also urging young artists to learn from his paintings.
Maleas remains one of the most popular Greek modern artists, and his works are exhibited at the National Gallery of Athens and elsewhere.
Konstantinos Maleas (1879 – 1928) – Painting work, oil on cardboard “Landscape” – It’s a very beautiful painting.
Code: C614
