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.
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.
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