23. NICHOLAOS GYSIS (1842-1901) Stilleben, Nelken signed "N. Gysis" lower left oil on canvas 77 x 63 cm (30 5/16 x 24 13/16in.) signed "N. Gysis" lower left oil on canvas Provenance Private collection, Athens. Exhibitions Berlin, Landes-Ausstellungsgebäude, Grosse Berliner Kunst-Ausstellung 1893, May 14 - September 17, 1893, no. 529 (listed in the exhibition catalogue, p. 36). Literature The Greek Painters, vol. 1, From the 19th Century to the 20th, Melissa editions, Athens 1974, p. 156 (mentioned). Y. Kolokotronis, Still Life in Modern Greek Art from the 19th Century to Date, Pierides Foundation edition, Thessaloniki 1992, p. 64 (mentioned). Gyzis in Tinos, 100 Years from the Death of the Artist, exhibition catalogue, Panhellenic Sacred Foundation of the Evangelistria in Tinos, 2001, p. 36 (shown in a photograph with the artist in his studio, c. 1899). Y. Papaioannou, Nikolaos Gysis, Ta Nea editions, Athens 2006, p. 101 (mentioned). Against a dark backdrop, comparable to still lifes by Boudin and Manet, Gyzis juxtaposes an alluring bouquet of carnations placed casually in a tall glass vase. Apparently, he is not interested in creating an opulent arrangement that would dazzle the viewer with its meticulous naturalistic detail, abundance of material, and wide range of hues. Instead, by assigning a leading role to the light falling on the flower heads, he seeks through stark contrast and glowing colour to capture freshness and delicacy and achieve a unified and dramatic effect. The red, white, and pink blossoms are dashed off with perfect assurance that the artist's brush will suggest both tactility and featheriness, convey the essence rather than the appearance of the subject, and deliver a perfectly balanced floral composition that bursts with life.