Yannis Tsarouchis

Yannis Tsarouchis is probably one of the most significant Greek painters of the twentieth century, due to his excellent contribution to portray and define the modern Greek identity. Yannis is a very erotic painter, his work is inspired by the French Impressionists, he also is an important gay artist who has painted naked athletic men with innocent features that contrast their tough roles as soldiers.

Yannis Tsarouchis was born in Piraeus, Athens on January 13, 1910, and started to study at School of Fine Arts in Athens, in 1928, having as a teacher a great proffesor, Konstantinos Parthenis.

He also received classes from Kontoglou Photios, who inspired him a little on Byzantine art. In 1930 he went to Paris and there he fell in love with that french decadence and bohemian lifestyle, and he was seduced by art from painters such as Renoir, Manet, Picasso and Matisse among others.

He was inspired by the desire of the greek people for freedom and independece, as they are a free-spirit nation, being independent from the Ottomans for a little over 100 years only, and being in a war defending their land again in the time of Yannis Tsarouchis.

His art is influenced by byzantine, parisian impresionism and his own touch.

Tsarouchis was popular in Greece for his contribution to and respect for Greek culture. In 1982, the Yannis Tsarouchis Foundation was established. When the artist died on July 20, 1989 in Athens, he left money in his will to support the foundation named in his honor.

 

Yannis Moralis

Yannis Moralis was a special figure of the modern greek arts of painting, part of the 30′s Generation,a visual type of painter.He was born on 23 april 1916 in Arta,Greece and studied in Athens School of Fine Arts since the age of 15.His teachers were Umbertos Argyros and Konstantinos Parthenis.He also studied in Rome and Paris, having interests in frescos, murals and mosaics.During the second world war he came back to his homeland and organized his first exhibition in 1940.
After the war, starting from 1947 he became a proffesor at the Athens School of Fine Arts until 1983 when he retired.He left a great work, he was a decorator for greek theatres, costumes designer, famous books illustrator.He also left some architectural works like the facade of the Hilton hotel in Athens, and a lot of great paintings such asTwo Friends, Seated Nude, Erotiko.

Moralis died on December 20, 2009.

Nicolaos Gysis

Nicolaos Gysis or Gyzis Nikolaos (born on March 1, 1842 in Sklavochorion Tinos, Greece, died on 4 January 1901 in Munich) was a Greek monumental-genre painter.

Gyzis was born the son of a carpenter, and his wife Margarita Onoufrios, born Psalti. From 1850 he attended primary school in the Athenes’ quarter Karamanos, with a particular fondness for drawing lessons. After the persuasion of his father and mother by neighborhood, he attended the Polytechneion (Polytechnic school) for four years, but are not officially registered because of his youth.

On 21 May 1865 he is given by Gysi Evangelistria Monastery in Tinos a scholarship. On the advice of Nikiforos Lytras, a fellow painter who had studied with Karl von Piloty in Munich decided to switch Gysi for Munich.

Munich was at this time, next to Paris because of the excellent reputation of its Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in general, and teachers as Piloty especially the most important and most important art wrought in Europe. Many young students of Greek art, since the mid-19th Century arrived in Munich, were funded by the arts policy of Louis I. of Bavaria’s metropolis . Among the many Greeks who studied at the Munich Academy, Nicholas Gysi was one of the most important.
On 1 June 1865 he began the trip to Munich from Tinos to Syra, Trieste, Vienna and Salzburg.

In October of that year was admitted to the academy in the ancient class of Hermann Anschütz.

Gysi went to Athens in 1872 , where he was celebrated by his countrymen, even by  well-known artists, and toured in 1873 with Nikiforos Lytras in Asia Minor, but returned the following year to Munich.

He visited his home twice, but remained all his life in Munich, where he worked from 1882 until his death, as a teacher at the Academy . Since his stay in Munich, Nikolaus Franz Gysi was friend of Defregger , with whom he had travel.
From July to late September 1874 along with Lytras Gysis rented the studio of Max and Gabriel who lived on the street Bayer 49/III. In 1878 he was the only Greek to receive an award, at the Paris exhibition, a third-class medal for the picture(child engagement in Greece).

On 16 In October he was awarded the title of professor and he was appointed assistant teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. On 1 June 1888 he was promoted to full professor at the Academy.

In 1900 he had a 6 months leave due to illness. In his absence, he was represented by one of his students under the supervision of Professor Ludwig von Löfftz.Nicholas died on 4  January 1901 in his apartment in Munich, Luis Road 50 from the effects of leukemia. He was buried in Munich at the north cemetery.

 

El Greco

El Greco (Spanish name with italian influence “Il Greco” - the Greek), is the name under which is known Domênikos Theotokopoulos,  1541,Iraklion / Crete - 7 April 1614, Toledo / Spain) was a spanish Mannerist painter of Greek origin, mysterious personality, both in terms of specifics of his style andbecause of incomplete biography. Known mostly because of his paintings on religious themes as a portraitist, his contributions in the field of sculpture and architecture were, unfortunately, forgotten.

Domênikos (Dominik) Theotokópulos (family name literally means ”son of the Virgin “) was born in 1541 in Candia (Handak), (now the port of Heraklion), Crete island, then a Venetian possession. We do not have any information on the artist’s youthful years. Only in an affidavit, dated 6 June 1566, has kept his signature, ”Master Menegos Theotokopoulos” and added the word itself - ”zgurafos” (the local Greek dialect:painter).

Thus we know that the painter was 25 years specializing in miniatures on wood and frescoes.

The next two years of his life remain unknown by El Greco biogafi. Notes from the archives tell us that in August 1568 is preparing to ship from Venice to Candia, designs a cartographer, and his native Crete. Presumably as an apprentice in his studio for another painter Tiziano or project region. Two years later, he met in Rome with Tintoretto,who will be his next master.

Giulio Clovio, miniaturist and Enlightenment philosopher,protector of the painter, recommends him to the influential and wealthy Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Conditions are favorable and the young Greek begins to take orders. In 1572,the corporation becomes a member Domênikos Theotokópulos painters in Rome,known as ”St. Luke Academy. Relations with the painters in Rome are not the best, and will shortly leave Italy and went to Spain where King Philip II in Escurial century began building a huge palace-monastery for many artists an opportunity to find work.

In 1577, after arriving in Toledo, El Greco received the command of Diego de Castilla for three altars for the church Antiguo Santo Domingo and the canons of the body, the execution of the paintings for the chapel of the cathedral city. Therefore,the painter made in this period, “the Espolio (“ Undressed Christ ”, 1577-1579) and paintings of the altar. Thanks to these true masterpieces, his success is overwhelming.

After years of wandering, Cretan immigrant finally finds his place where he will remain until his death in Toledo. Spanish people call him “El Greco”, using the Italian form of ”Greek” and not the expression of Castilian ”Griego”, as had been expected. However, the artist continues to work and sign with his real name, using the Greek alphabet. Add often ”dolt” or ”made by adolt. “

 

Vangelis

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou known as Vangelis (born March 29, 1943) is a recognized composer, his music was considered new age or electronic.

Among his best known compositions include the soundtrack of the movie “Chariots of Fire” for which he received an Academy Award in 1981, and compositions for movies:”Blade Runner”, ”Bitter Moon”, ”1492: Conquest of Paradise ”documentary” Carl Sagan”, “ Jacques-Yves Cousteau ”and the anthem FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan 2002.

The composer, born in Volos, Greece, has embraced the art of music at an early age, starting to write songs, classical instrumental at the age of four years, not having a teacher to prepare him and guide him.

He refused classical piano lessons and career-building without substantial knowledge of music theory.

In 1968, he moved to Paris with Demis Roussos and Loukas Sideras formed the progressive rock group Aphrodite’s Child, releasing various tracks, including the international hit ”Tears Ad Rain” Although the group disbanded in 1972, Vangelis also collaborated with Demis Roussos ongoing.

The artist began his solo career in 1973 and the first album was ”Earth”, released in1974. At the same time, he was befriended by singer Vangelis Jon Anderson, a member of the progressive rock band britanic Yes. Together with Jon Anderson has made several albums during the years 1980 and 1990 under the name Jon & Vangelis”.

After moving to London, Vangelis signed a contract with RCA Records label, he opened his own studio, Nemo Studios and began to register a series of electronic albums including ”Heaven and Hell”, ”Albedo 0.39 ”" Spiral ”,” Beaubourg ”and” China. “Some of the songs on the album ”Heaven and Hell” and the song ”Alpha” from the album “Albedo 0.39″, were reserved for the soundtrack of the documentary ”Cosmos. “

Yanni

Yanni was born on nov 14, 1954 in Kalamata in Greece with his actual name being Yiannis hrysomallis.He studied by himself some musical instruments such as pianno,electronic keyboard and started composing his own music.
He earned some free-style musical contests as a teenager and started his own band after the graduation of psychology at university of minnesota.He composes instrumental music for relaxation or as a food for the brain.His first albums were entitled acording to what the music wanted to create: Keys to Imagination, Out of Silence, Dare to Dream.
In 1992 he was first nominated for Grammy award, with a commercial song for British Airways, and since then he started earning from composing musicfor advertising industry, besides the releasing of albums for public.His first really big hit was Yanni Live at the Acropolis, released in 1994.In 1997 he performed at Taj Mahal,India and at the Forbidden City, China.He had a some tours in 2003 and 2004, and latest the tour Yanni Live in South America in 2010,september.
His music is interesting, relaxing and stimulating to the human mind and senses through the ear.

 

Andreas Papandreou

Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (born onFebruary 5,1919 at Chios, died on 23 June 1996 in Ekali) was a Greek politician. During the Greek military coup in 1967, he was arrested and detained. Of 21 October 1981 to the 2nd July 1989 and of 13 October 1993 to 22 January 1996, he was Prime Minister of Greece.

Papandreou was the son of the leading Greek liberal politician and founder of the Democratic Centre Georgios Papandreou and born of Sofia Mineyko. He attended the 1937 National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he studied law and in 1938 became involved in Trotskyist groups. Papandreou  was arrested in 1939 by the dictatorship established in 1936 by Ioannis Metaxas, imprisoned and tortured, but later released and was able to leave the country.

In 1942, Papandreou enrolled at Harvard University, where he graduated with a doctorate in economics. Initially, he remained at Harvard as a lecturer associate professor until 1947. In 1944, he acquired American citizenship and served in the U.S.Navy. He was later a professor at the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, the University of California, Berkeley (where he was the Dean of the Faculty of Economics), Stockholm University and York University in Toronto, Canada.

In 1951 he married the American Margaret Chant, and of the marriage there are three sons and a daughter.

Papandreou was an intensely polarizing personality. He was a powerful orator and was admired by the working class and many people in rural Greece, who were attracted by his populist attacks on the rich, and his romantic Greek nationalism.

His opponents, the Conservatives, had little recognition for him, as they placed him under a veil of corruption and demagoguery,saying he was ruining the reputation of Greece and the economy and the relations with the neigbours.

His successor Konstantinos Simitis followed a different strategy,more marked by substantive reforms. He called Giorgos Papandreou, the son of Andreas Papandreou, foreign minister, who followed the line of Simitis, but with closer cooperation with Turkey, also realized their own goals. Simitis resigned in February 2004 and Giorgos Papandreou was elected leader of PASOK. He tried with the Sloagan Andrea Zeiser! Esy mas odhigeis ”(“Andreas, you live still! You lead us! “) and former political supporters of his father to mobilize, but was defeated by New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis by its chairman. Only in the elections in October 2009, the same constellation ended with a clear victory of PASOK.