75. 75AR YANNIS TSAROUCHIS (1910-1989) Portrait of a young man signed in Greek and dated lower right "1967 oil on canvas 50 x 27cm (19 11/16 x 10 5/8in.) signed in Greek and dated lower right "1967" oil on canvas Provenance Acquired from the artist by the present owner. Private collection, Paris. I am a painter of faces.¹ Y. Tsarouchis Captured in earthy colours, highlighted by solid outlines, and handled with confident brushwork, this captivating portrait of a young Greek male-Tsarouchis's signature subject-conveys a sense of immediacy and presence, echoing Gyzis's psychologically acute Agriculteur de Tinos, lot 34. The simplified design, pronounced linearity, and overall atmosphere of pensive serenity and grace, are also reminiscent of Fayum² portraiture, which was a major source of inspiration for Tsarouchis in his effort to reinterpret the age-old tradition of Greco-Roman and Byzantine art in a modern and vigorous manner. The honesty of representation, genuineness of character and purity of form give this portrait its power and directness, impelling the viewer to delve beyond the surface and seek the inner world of the Greek youth. ¹. Osei Myra, Yannis Tsarouchis 1910-1989, Kastaniotis editions, Athens 1998, p.258. ². Realistic and contemplative portraits produced in the Nile Valley during Roman times bearing the marks of an unquestionably Greek style deeply rooted in the Hellenistic School of Alexandria. They kept alive the conventions of naturalistic representation and passed them on to the Byzantine icon painters.