Munich School

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The Munich School (Greek: Σχολή του Μονάχου) or academic realism is the most important artistic movement of Greek Art in the 19th century with strong influences from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (German: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste)^[1].

Contents 1 History 2 Artistic styles 3 Representative Artists 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

The creation of romantic art in Greece can be explained mainly due to the particular relationships that were created between recently liberated Greece (1830) and Bavaria during King Otto's years (See:Kingdom of Greece). In this period the Greek state was encouraging young arists to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and in particular study painting^[2]. In addition, after centuries of Ottoman rule, few opportunities existed for young artist in Greece itself, immediately after independence, so studying abroad was imperative for them. Munich,was an important international center for the arts and is the place where the majority of the Greek artists of 19th century would chose to study and a minority would go to Paris. Both academic and personal bonds developed between early Greek painters and Munich artistry giving birth to the Greek "Munich School" of painting. Many of these young artists later have returned to Greece to teach to the Polytechnic School and later Athens School of Fine Arts, where they would transmit their artistic experiences. Some of them like Nikolaus Gysis have chosen to remain in Munich, the so called Athens on the Isar^[3].

[edit] Artistic styles

The works of the Munich school painters are characterised by an expert and overly use of colours that would overshadow the figures expressions. Scenes were depicted in a pompous and theatrical way, although not lacking emotional tension. In academic realism the imperative is the ethography, the representation of urban and/or rural life with a special attention in the depiction of architectural elements, the traditional cloth and the various objects. Munich School painters were specialised on portraiture, landscape painting and still life.

[edit] Representative Artists

Artists that belong to the School of Munich include the first painters of free Greece such as Theodoros Vryzakis (1814–1878) and Dionysios Tsokos (1820–1862) (According to other art critics he belongs more to the Heptanese School). Both of them draw their subjects from the Greek War of Independence in 1821, focusing on idealised ideas on the Greek Revolution and not giving much attention to the violent and tragic aspects of a war. Even more dramatic in their depictions were the later Konstantinos Volanakis (1837–1907) and Ioannis Altamouras (1852–1878), that were focused more on the naval battles of the 1821 Revolution^[1].

Main representatives of the artistic movement were apart from Volanakis the painters that worked mainly during the second half of the 19th century like Nikiphoros Lytras (1832–1904), Nikolaos Gysis (1842–1901) and Georgios Iacovidis. (1853–1907). Gysis stayed at the Academy in Germany while the others have returned to teach at the Athens School of Fine Arts. Their teaching and artistry hae marked the 19th century artistic era in Greece^[2].

Nikiphoros Lytras is considered the pope of Greek painting and the major iconographer of Greek life during the 19th century. Paintings such as The milkman or The awaiting consist reference points in Greek Art. Gysis worked mainly on ethography while at the maturity of his career he shifted towards the iconography of visions, allegories and symbolisms. Iacovidis paintings were mainly portraiture and depiction of children scenes. The latter was the founder and first curator of the National Gallery of Greece in Athens^[1].

Other painters include Epameinondas Thomopoulos, Ioannis Koutsis, Stylianos Miliadis, Nikolaos Vokos, Ioannis Zaharias (1845–?) and Polychronis Lembesis. Influences of academic realism can also be seen in the work of many Greek artists such as Spyros Vikatos (1878–1960), Thalia Flora-Karavia (1871–1960) and Hector Doukas (1886–1969)^[2][4].

The end of the movement started when some Greek painters after the mid-19th century such as Periclis Pantazis (1849–1884) departed from academic realism towards impressionism and the final end occurred when expressionist Nikolaos Lytras (1883–1927) and Konstantinos Parthenis (1878–1967) started to teach at the Athens School of Fine Arts^[1].

[edit] Gallery

Constantinos Volanakis, Out of the Port	Nikiphoros Lytras, Self portrait	Nikolaus Gyzis, The Girl	Theodoros Rallis, Praying before the Communion.
Theodoros Vryzakis, Epanastasi	Theodoros Rallis, Child hiding behind Egyptian Statue	Nikolaus Gyzis, Secret School	Nikiphoros Lytras, Man in a hat
Nikiphoros Lytras, The blowing up of the Nasuh Ali Pasha's flagship by Kanaris	Pericles Pantazis, Summer day at the river	Georgios Jakobides, Bavarian village	Theodore Vryzakis, The sortie of Messologhi National Gallery of Athens
Nikolaus Gysis, Ηistoria	Nikolaus Gysis, The Barber

[edit] See also

• Art in modern Greece
• National Gallery of Athens
• Greek Art

[edit] External links

• National Gallery of Athens
• The Emergence of Modern Greek Painting, 1830-1930 From the Bank of Greece collection

[edit] References