35. 35AR Yiannis Tsarouchis (Greek, 1910-1989) Evzone et famille signé en grec et daté '36' (en haut à gauche) technique mixte sur toile 61.5 x 41.5cm (24 3/16 x 16 5/16in). Peint en 1936. signed in Greek and dated (upper left) mixed media on canvas Provenance Acquired directly from the artist by Beatrice Spiliadis and thence be descent to the present owner. "Tsarouchis's art perfectly captures the tenderness of life combined with hieratic solemnity, gallantry, and dignified yearning." B. Spiliadis, Eleftherotypia magazine, July 4, 1982. Acquired directly from the artist by prominent art critic Beatrice Spiliadis (1939-1986) in the 1980s, Evzone et famille conveys a striking immediacy and resilient allure. Radically simplified in design and colour, the painting draws stylistic elements from Matisse, Theofilos, Parthenis, and traditional shadow puppet theatre to create a serene world of pure form. Reviewing the artist's work from the mid-1930s, art critic A. Xydis noted: "In 1934 Tsarouchis stopped working with Kontoglou to follow his own path. His fascination with colour and texture, and, perhaps, his predilection towards the decorative drew him to Matisse."1 Indeed, the picture's broad, overlapping planes of colour, shallow compositional structure and sweeping brushstrokes recall the teachings of the great French master. The composition is dominated by the commanding presence of a standing young male in the traditional fustanella kilt, tenderly and reassuringly resting his left hand on the frail shoulder of his diminutive wife, whose silent inflexibility and rigid, almost hieratic posture alludes to Mother and Child depictions on Byzantine icons. As noted by former Benaki Museum Director M. Hadjidakis, Tsarouchis's human subjects tend to become monumental figures elevated to a symbolic type full of dignity and grandeur.2 What's truly amazing is that Tsarouchis imaginatively combined various representational conventions to transform a simple peasant family into everlasting symbols, capturing the genuineness of character which is the lifeblood of the Modern Greek spirit.3 Ever since his early childhood, Tsarouchis was fascinated by traditional local costumes from around Greece, enchanted by the variety of vibrant colours and bold schemes exhibited in the velvet and silk garments and headdresses worn by the peasant women he saw in Athens each time he visited the city's centre with his mother. Beyond childhood memories, however, Tsarouchis's great interest in traditional local dresses stemmed from his dual capacity as painter and costume designer, a fascination that was further heightened following his acquaintance with Angeliki Hadjimichali, Elli Papadimitriou and Eva Palmer-Sikelianou.4 1 A. Xydis, "Tsarouchis's Contribution in the Discovery of Greek Tradition" [in Greek], Zygos magazine, no 72-75, November 1961-February 1962, p. 9. 2 M. Hadjidakis, "Some Aspects of Modern Greek Art" in Perspective of Greece, an Atlantic Monthly Supplement, Intercultural Publications, New York 1955, p. 33. 3 See D. Kapetanakis, "Yannis Tsarouchis, Return to Roots" [in Greek], Nea Grammata magazine, 1937. 4 M. Karavia, The Thinker of Marousi, Memories and Conversations with Yannis Tsarouchis [in Greek], Kapon editions Athens 2009, p. 74.