Yannis Spyropoulos

The Greek painter Yánnis Spyrópoulos, born in 1912 and deceased in 1990, developed his painting from naturalism towards abstraction, before shifting his interest to the image itself and the means of its making. After beginning with naturalistic paintings, he turned to abstraction from 1950 onwards. His abstract compositions are described as dark, lacking spatial depth and structured by geometric forms; Malvina Bompart characterises his work as abstract and solidly constructed. In the 1960s, his attention focused less on creating abstract compositions than on analysing the image thus produced. His later works attest to a sustained interest in the painterly process, surfaces and textures.

After studying in Paris, Spyrópoulos spent the Second World War in Athens. His first international exhibition took place in Cairo in 1946, followed by his first solo exhibition at the Parnassos Gallery in Athens in 1950. He subsequently exhibited in Rome in 1953, Belgrade in 1954 and Stockholm in 1955. From 1957, he was under contract with the World House Gallery in New York, where he held several solo exhibitions in 1959 and 1961. In 1959, he also took part in «Eight Greek Painters», an exhibition organised by the Smithsonian in Washington. He received the UNESCO Prize at the 1960 Venice Biennale, and was made Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in 1966.

Works recorded at auction

Piguet

Paysage de montagne

Gouache

Original catalogue wording

Paysage de montagne
gouache

Catalogue period : 2021-09-08 — 2021-09-22

Published result : 3000 CHF

Fees not specified in the available data

Estimate : CHF 1000–1500

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Germann

In the Afternoon, 1958

Oil on cardboard

Original catalogue wording

In the Afternoon, 1958
Öl auf Karton.

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

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