Tsarouchis Yiannis (1910-1989)

He was born in Piraeus (1910-1989) and studied at the School of Fine Arts (1929-35).
At the same time, he studied at Fotis Kontoglou (1931-34), who introduced him to Byzantine painting while studying folk architecture and attire.
Together with Dimitris Pikionis, Photis Kontoglou and Angelos Hatzimichalis, he was the leader of the era for Greek art.
In 1935-6, after visiting Constantinople, he traveled to Paris and Italy. He came into contact with Renaissance and Impressionist creations. He discovered the work of Theophilos and met artists such as Matisse and Giacometti. In ’38, he performed his first solo exhibition at the Alexopoulos store on Niki Street in Athens. In ’47 he made two solo exhibitions with watercolors and theatrical drawings. The ’51 exhibited in Paris and London and in ’53 signed a contract with the Iolas Gallery in New York. The ’56 was a candidate for the Guggenheim Prize and in ’58 took part in the Venice Biennale. In ’82 he opened the G. Tsarouchis Museum in Maroussi, in his home, which he transformed it by himself, giving his personal collection of works. At the same time, the Tsarouchis Foundation is working to disseminate its work. His engaging with stage design was also important. In ’77 he made his own “Trojan Women” by Euripides in his own Modern Greek performance with his own teaching and stage design.
He also dealt with book illustrations, translation and writing of art books.
He was perhaps the most prominent representative of the 30’s generation of art, he particularly tried to combine the imperatives of “Greekness” with the idiom of “modernism”. Materials of his work were the soft color scale and the strictly elegant line of the Byzantine icon. The result was to revive the tradition through his works. With the wide range of his artistic activities he has shaped the neo-Hellenistic aesthetics after the war.