29 - FOTIS KONTOGLOU (1895–1965)

FOTIS KONTOGLOU (1895–1965) The Baptism Signed in Greek and dated 1923 (lower right) oil, mixed media, and wax on canvas 163 x 112 cm. (64.17 × 44.09 in.) oil, mixed media, and wax on canvas Footnotes: Provenance I. K. Bitzios Collection, Athens. Exhibitions Athens, National Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Fotis Kontoglou, retrospective exhibition, November 27, 1978 – January 14, 1979, no. 226 (listed in the exhibition catalog, p. 31). Andros, Museum of Contemporary Art, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, *Depicting Transcendence: From Byzantine Tradition to Modern Art*, June 30–September 29, 2013 (discussed, pp. 150–153, and illustrated in the exhibition catalog, p. 151). Athens, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, “Photis Kontoglou and His Influence on the Younger Generation,” September 21–December 12, 2022 (illustrated in the exhibition catalog, pp. 75 [detail], 355). Bibliography In Memory of Kontoglou, Astir Al. & E. Papadimitriou Editions, Athens 1975, p. 312 (cataloged), p. 247 (illustrated). F. Kontoglou, *Ekphrasis of Orthodox Iconography*, vol. II, *Paintings*, Astir Al. & E. Papadimitriou Editions, Athens 1979, fig. B’ (illustrated). *To Vima* newspaper, January 5, 1986, p. 14 (illustrated). *Nea Estia* magazine, vol. 128, no. 1515, August 15, 1990, p. 1066 (mentioned). N. Zias, *Photis Kontoglou, Painter*, Commercial Bank of Greece, Athens 1993, pp. 35, 83 (mentioned), pp. 37, 156 (discussed), fig. 26 (illustrated). Lexi magazine, no. 198, October–December 2008, p. 486 (mentioned). With *The Baptism* of 1923, Kontoglou embarked on the artistic journey that would establish him as the great reviver of Orthodox ecclesiastical painting in Greece and a leading advocate of a return to indigenous cultural experience and the age-old sources of modern Hellenism. This call for revival would profoundly influence subsequent generations of Greek painters, particularly the Generation of the Thirties. In this respect, *The Baptism* marks not only the beginning of Kontoglou’s illustrious artistic career but also a milestone in the development of twentieth-century Greek art. Kontoglou painted *The Baptism* shortly after returning from his journey to Mount Athos (1922–1923), which proved decisive in shaping his artistic vision. During his several-month stay in the monastic community, he discovered the treasures of Byzantine art: “I never expected to find such perfection in the monastery churches.” From what I had read about Byzantine art, I was of the opinion that it deserved less attention than the art of the Italian Renaissance. As far as I can tell, it is indeed rare to find works with such pictorial wisdom and such an intense style.”1 Enchanted by the sacred world of Mount Athos, Kontoglou set out to decipher the secrets of Byzantine art. The spirituality permeating the monastic community and the extraordinary quality of the icons and wall paintings left a lasting impression on him. These influences, however, did not find immediate expression in his work, with the exception of *The Baptism* in the Bitziou collection. Here, for the first time, the artist attempted not to copy Byzantine iconographic models but to reinterpret them in his own distinctive manner, preserving the essential structure of the composition while introducing his personal style. Towering, turbulent, prismatic mountains dominate the scene, rising almost to the upper edge of the canvas. In the middle of the river, Christ stands upon a slab, crushing the serpents of hell beneath his feet, his loins covered only by a white cloth. On the left bank, John the Baptist stands beside an axe, alluding to his warning about repentance and divine judgment. Stepping forward, he bends slightly to touch Christ’s head. In the lower left corner, depicted on a considerably smaller scale, an old man holding a pitcher from which water pours personifies the Jordan River. Crabs, eels, squid, octopuses, and other marine creatures complete the composition. Kontoglou’s distinctive reinterpretation is evident not only in his depiction of the mountainous landscape, with its conical peaks and flowing curves, but also in the unprecedented incorporation of genre elements into the religious image. These include fishermen seated on the shore, watching the sacred event with a basket of fish between them; swimmers diving from a high platform; and young men undressing before entering the water. Such details draw upon nostalgic memories of Kontoglou’s childhood on the shores of his native Aeolis in Asia Minor.2 As the painter himself recalled, “The salt water of the Aegean sprinkled my cradle. Before I learned to walk, I learned to swim. On all fours, I would make my way down to the shore and head straight into the water.’3 In this depiction of the Baptism—which also serves as an allegory of Kontoglou’s own symbolic baptism in the waters of his homeland—the artist finds a response to the anguish of being uprooted from his birthpl