2 - NICHOLAOS GYSIS (1842–1901)

NICHOLAOS GYSIS (1842–1901) Fama signed “N. Gysis” (lower left) charcoal and gouache on paper 50 × 38.5 cm. Painted c. 1895 charcoal and gouache on paper 19.69 × 15.16 in. Footnotes: Provenance Private collection, Athens. Exhibitions Athens, Iliou Melathron (Schliemann Mansion), Etaireia Filotechnon, Exhibition of Works by Nikolaos Gysis (retrospective), March 15–May 15, 1928, no. 10 (possibly). This allegorical composition was designed for the cover of the famous and influential magazine *Über Land und Meer*—a major, highly prestigious commission for Gysis, underscoring his immense institutional standing in Germany in the closing years of the 19th century.¹ Featuring the personification of Fame, it is characterized by large, flat surfaces, simplicity of execution, and a stylization of form reminiscent of the then-prevalent avant-garde linear compositions of Jugendstil. At the same time, the work stands out for its eloquent allusions to classical antiquity, reminding the viewer of art’s noble role and its timeless values of harmony, balance, and rhythm.² As noted by art historian K. Kazolea, Gysis’s pronounced interest in Greek antiquity—which had already begun to manifest in the mid-1870s—eventually led him to develop a classical visual vocabulary that embraced ancient paradigms, infusing their essence into entirely new compositions. During his trip to Greece in 1895—the very period in which *Fame* was painted—he immersed himself anew in the sources of his national heritage, reawakening his sense of Greek identity. This journey—his first after more than twenty years in Germany—proved decisive for his artistic evolution; it allowed the classical spirit to mature within him, subsequently fueling the idealistic works of his later years. While this artistic idiom resonated deeply with Gysis’s sensitive nature and satisfied his innate poetic temperament, his turn toward allegory and neo-idealism was equally nurtured by the broader neo-humanist currents taking shape across Europe during the second half of the 19th century.3 1. Founded in Stuttgart, *Über Land und Meer* was one of the most prominent, widely circulated, and long-running German illustrated periodicals, published weekly from 1858 to 1923. Toward the end of the 19th century, the magazine embraced contemporary art trends and became a platform for showcasing Jugendstil and Symbolist aesthetics through specially commissioned cover designs and layout decorations. 2. See N. Misirli, Gysis [in Greek], Adam editions, Athens 1995, p. 326 and “1893, the Europe of Painters” [in Greek], Epta Imeres Kathimerini newspaper Sunday supplement, February 28, 1993, p. 17. 3. See K. Kazolea, “Nicholaos Gysis and the Diploma of the 1st Olympic Games” [in Greek], Emeis magazine, no. 15, March 1988, p. 13. For further information on this lot, please visit Bonhams.com