43. THEOFILOS HADJIMICHAEL (1871-1934) The angel of love natural pigments on wall pasted on panel 153 x 135 cm (60 1/4 x 53 1/8 in.) (panel size 162 x 142 cm.) natural pigments on wall mounted on panel Provenance Painted by the artist c. 1925-28 in the family house in Lesvos of the present owner. One of the few surviving murals by Theofilos, this elaborate ceiling fresco was rescued from destruction in 1982 and restored with great care after being transferred onto canvas from its original wall in a traditional country mansion in the artist's native village of Vareia on the island of Lesvos (Mytilene). As noted by N. Matsas in his well-known book on Theofilos, first published some twenty years earlier, most of the artist's wall paintings on the island were long lost. "Those that were rescued are now owned by genteel and wise people who appreciate their value and bless the humble painter for the gifts he gave them-feasts for the senses and true delights to the eye."¹ The challenging restoration project revealed a world of brilliant colours, energetic brushstrokes and boldly drawn outlines. The adorable scene of a child in marine outfit being lovingly looked after by his guardian angel is filtered through the artist's rich imagination and imbued with a spirit of untutored simplicity, reflecting the fondness of the island's inhabitants for a carefree attitude towards life. The two figures stand amidst brilliant oranges, sparkling greens and radiant blues that echo the magnificent Byzantine harmonies, while the floral motifs embellishing the frame suggest a particularly happy period in Theofilos's art and life. This is how novelist K. Ouranis described his feelings when he first saw Theofilos's murals in a village coffee-shop on the island of Mytilene: "I felt a child-like joy, pure and deep. The room seemed like a magic cage, adorned with dazzling gems, inside which sang like a bird the Greek soul."² ¹. N. Matsas, The Tale of Theofilos [in Greek], Estia editions, Athens 1978, p. 153. ². K. Ouranis, "The Painter Theofilos" [in Greek], Nea Estia journal, no. 19, November 15, 1936.