26 - PERICLES PANTAZIS (1849–1884)

PERICLES PANTAZIS (1849–1884) The Marseille Lighthouse signed “Pantazis” (lower left) oil on canvas 72 x 112.5 cm. (28.3 × 44.3 in.) Painted c. 1881 oil on canvas Footnotes: Provenance Gaston Heux Collection (man of letters, honorary secretary of the group Pour l’Art) Bonhams, London, Greek Sale of May 11, 2004, lot 31. Acquired from the above sale by the present owner. Exhibitions Antwerp, Salon d'Anvers, Exposition Nationale des Artistes Vivants, August 13, 1882, no. 1041 (listed in the exhibition catalog, p. 145). Literature G. Drakopoulou, Pericles Pantazis in the Context of 19th-Century Belgian Painting, dissertation, Athens 1982, p. 144 (listed), p. 151 (mentioned). O. Mentzafou-Polyzou (ed.), Pericles Pantazis 1849–1884, Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas Foundation, Athens 1994, no. 46, p. 200 (cataloged). Ta Nea tis Technis newspaper, no. 128, June–August 2004, p. 27 (illustrated). First exhibited alongside Manet’s famous *Bar aux Folies-Bergère* at the prestigious 1882 Antwerp Salon, *Le phare de Marseille* was begun in 1880, during Pantazis’s final visit to Marseille, and was completed the following year in Brussels. Painted at the height of the artist’s creative powers, it illustrates both the culmination and completion of his artistry, showcasing confidence in design, the plasticity of his brushwork, and the subtlety of his composition. *Le phare de Marseille* marks an important stage in Pantazis’s work: the discovery of Mediterranean light. His palette brightened, freeing his art from the constraints of the past. Distancing himself from the influences of Gustave Courbet, he immersed himself in those of Édouard Manet and Eugène Boudin, whose works he deeply admired. He clearly adopted Boudin’s artistic motto: “We must aim for greater purity, greater brightness, and greater subtlety.” Like most Impressionist painters who drew new artistic inspiration from their Mediterranean experiences, Pantazis reinvented his artistic expression upon encountering the unique light of Marseille. One of his letters from the city, addressed to the painter Guillaume Vogels in 1880, reveals the new direction his art was taking: “I have begun to work here, but it is very strange. Everyone knows that Marseille is not the North. Yet the atmosphere is very different, as one realizes when trying to capture an exact impression. I have some studies from Brussels with me. From time to time, I compare them. The difference is truly extraordinary. My Belgian studies seem to me vibrant and cohesive, whereas my studies here are both blinding and dull... What is complicated here is the paleness that exists despite the brightness. It is very difficult, but I will do my best to bring back some faithful studies.” This fascination with the Mediterranean atmosphere and light presented a real challenge for Pantazis, just as it did for all Impressionist artists. But unlike Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro, who dissolved objects in the light, Pantazis, in the manner of Manet, solidified and accentuated such juxtapositions through the intensity of color. To a sky dotted with delicate shades of pastel grays and blues, he responded with a sea resplendent in rich, deep shades of blue. Auction House Notes: Please note that the correct dates for the artist are 1849–1884, as stated in the online catalog. The dates 1914–1965 given in the printed catalog are incorrect. For further information on this lot, please visit Bonhams.com