The most important artistic movement of

Greek art Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan civilization, and gave birth to Western classical art in the subsequent Geometric, Archaic and Classical periods (with further developments during the Hellenistic Period). It absorbed influences of E ...

in the 19th century was

academic realism Academic art, or academicism or academism, is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie ...

, often called in Greece "the

Munich School Munich School ( el, Σχολή του Μονάχου) is the name given to a group of painters who worked in Munich or were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (german: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste) between 1850 and 191 ...

" ( el, Σχολή του Μονάχου) because of the strong influence from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich (german: Münchner Akademie der Bildenden Künste),Bank of Greece – Events
where many Greek artists trained. The Munich School painted the same sort of scenes in the same sort of style as Western European academic painters in several countries, and did generally not attempt to incorporate Byzantine stylistic elements into their work.

History

The creation of romantic art in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

can be explained mainly due to the particular relationships that were created between recently liberated Greece (1830) and

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

during King Otto's years (see:

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label= Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, wh ...

). In this period the

Greek state Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

was encouraging young artists to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

and in particular study

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and a ...

.New Page 1
/ref> 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 was the place where the majority of Greek artists of the 19th century would choose to study; a minority would go to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. 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 returned to Greece to teach at the

Polytechnic School Polytechnic School, often referred to simply as Poly, is a college preparatory private day school located in Pasadena, California with approximately 850 students enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 12. The school is a former member of the ...

and later

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; el, Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών, ΑΣΚΤ, literally: Highest School of Fine Arts), is Greece's premier Art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its students ...

, where they would transmit their artistic experiences. Some of them, like Nikolaus Gysis, chose to remain in Munich, the so-called ''Athens on the

Isar The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria, and Bavaria, Germany, which is not navigable for watercraft above raft size. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Bad Tölz, Mu ...

''.

Artistic styles

The works of the Munich school painters are characterized by an expert but over-use of colours that would overshadow the figures' expressions. Scenes were depicted in a pompous and theatrical way, although not lacking in emotional tension. In

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 specialized on

portraiture A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...

landscape painting Landscape painting, also known as landscape art, is the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view—with its elements arranged into a coherent compo ...

and

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...

Representative artists

Artists belonging to the Munich School include the first painters of free Greece, such as

Theodoros Vryzakis Theodoros Vryzakis ( el, Θεόδωρος Βρυζάκης; 1819–1878) was a Greek painter, known mostly for his historical scenes. He was one of the founders of the "Munich School", composed of Greek artists who had studied in that city. Biog ...

(1814–1878) and

Dionysios Tsokos Dionysios Tsokos (Greek: Διονύσιος Τσόκος; c. 1814/1820 in Zakynthos – 1862 in Athens) was a Greek painter; one of the first to gain recognition in the post-Ottoman period. He is mostly known for portraits and historical scenes ...

(1820–1862). According to other art critics, the latter belongs more to the Heptanese School. Both of them draw their subjects from the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

in 1821, focusing on idealised ideas on the

Greek Revolution The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted b ...

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 Konstantinos Volanakis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Βολανάκης; 1837 - 29 June 1907) was a Greek painter who became known as the "father of Greek seascape painting". Biography Volanakis was born at Heraklion on Crete, to parents wh ...

(1837–1907) and

Ioannis Altamouras Ioannis Altamouras ( Greek: Ιωάννης Αλταμούρας) (1852, in Florence or Naples – 1878, in Spetses) was a Greek painter of the 19th century famous for his paintings of seascapes.1821 Revolution. Apart from Volanakis, the main representatives of this artistic movement were painters from the second half of the 19th century, such as

Nikiphoros Lytras Nikiforos Lytras ( el, Νικηφόρος Λύτρας; 1832 – 13 June 1904) was a Greek painter. He was born in Tinos and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. In 1860, he won a scholarship to Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich. After c ...

(1832–1904),

Nikolaos Gysis Nikolaos Gyzis ( el, Νικόλαος Γύζης ; german: Nikolaus Gysis; 1 March 1842 – 4 January 1901) was considered one of Greece's most important 19th century painters. He was most famous for his work '' Eros and the Painter'', his first ...

(1842–1901), Georgios Iacovidis (1853–1907) and Georgios Roilos (1867–1928). In his mature career Roilos went beyond the principles of the Munich School and introduced impressionism into Greek painting. Gysis stayed at the Academy in Germany while the others have returned to teach at the

. Their teaching and artistry have marked the 19th-century artistic era in Greece.

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

. Gysis worked mainly on ethography while at the maturity of his career he shifted towards the iconography of visions, allegories and symbolisms. The paintings of Georgios Iacovidisconsisted mainly of

portraits A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For thi ...

and scenes depicting children. The latter was the founder and first curator of the

National Gallery of Greece The National Gallery ( el, Εθνική Πινακοθήκη, ''Ethniki Pinakothiki'') is an art museum located on Vasilissis Sofias avenue in the Pangrati district, Athens, Greece. It is devoted to Greek and European art from the 14th century ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

. Other painters include

Epameinondas Thomopoulos Epameinondas Thomopoulos (Greek: Επαμεινώνδας Θωμόπουλος, 1878 - January 4, 1976) was a Greek artist who attended the academy and the first Greek impressionist. He studied drawing in Italy. It was his years as professo ...

(1878–1976), Ioannis Koutsis (1860−1953), Stylianos Miliadis (1881−1965), Nikolaos Vokos (1854–1902), Ioannis Zacharias (1845–?) and Polychronis Lembesis (1848–1913). Influences of

can also be seen in the work of many Greek artists such as

Spyridon Vikatos Spyridon Vikatos ( el, Σπυρίδων Βικάτος; 24 September 1878 – 6 June 1960) was a Greek painter, one of the later members of the Munich School. Life Spyridon Vikatos was born in Argostoli, Cephalonia, in 1878. He was assisted by t ...

(1878–1960), Nikolaos Davis (1883–1967),

Thalia Flora-Karavia Thalia Flora-Karavia ( gr, Θάλεια Φλωρά-Καραβία, 1871–1960) was a Greek artist and member of the Munich School who was best known for her sketches of soldiers at war. Life Thalia Flora was born in 1871 in Siatista, Western Mac ...

(1871–1960), Ioannis Doukas (1841–1916) and Ektor Doukas (1886–1969).''Towards the formation of a professional identity: women artists in Greece at the beginning of the twentieth century'' (2005) Chariklia-Glafki Gotsia

Women's History Review ''Women's History Review'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal of women's history published by Routledge. The editor-in-chief is June Purvis (University of Portsmouth) and Sharon Crozier-De Rosa is deputy editor. Abstracting and indexin ...

, 14;pp: 285 - 300 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 Nikolaos Lytras ( el, Νικόλαος Λύτρας; Athens, 2 May 1883 – 1 December 1927)Bri ...

(1883–1927), Georgios Roilos, and

Konstantinos Parthenis Konstantinos Parthenis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Παρθένης; 10 May 1878 – 25 July 1967) was a distinguished Greek- Egyptian painter, born in Alexandria. Parthenis broke with the Greek academic tradition of the 19th century and in ...

(1878–1967) started to teach at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

Gallery

Image: Volanakis_001.jpg, Constantinos Volanakis, ''Anchored boats''. Image: Αλταμούρας Ιωάννης - Το λιμάνι της Κοπεγχάγης.jpg,

Ioannis Altamouras Ioannis Altamouras ( Greek: Ιωάννης Αλταμούρας) (1852, in Florence or Naples – 1878, in Spetses) was a Greek painter of the 19th century famous for his paintings of seascapes.Nikiphoros Lytras Nikiforos Lytras ( el, Νικηφόρος Λύτρας; 1832 – 13 June 1904) was a Greek painter. He was born in Tinos and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. In 1860, he won a scholarship to Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich. After c ...

, ''Execution of Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople''. Image: Gysis_003.jpg, Nikolaus Gyzis, ''Learning by heart''. Image: Theodoros Rallis - The Booty.jpeg, Theodoros Rallis, ''The Booty''. Image: Grandma's Favorite.jpg, Georgios Jakobides, ''Grandma's Favorite''. Image: Lytras Nikiforos Carols.jpeg,

, ''Carols''. Image: Gysis Nikolaos Capuchin.jpg, Nikolaus Gyzis, ''Capuchin monk''. Image: The burning of the Turkish flagship by Kanaris.png,

, ''The blowing up of the Nasuh Ali Pasha's flagship by Kanaris''. Image: Boat in rough waters by Vassileios Chatzis.jpg,

Vassileios Chatzis Vasileios Hatzis or Vassileios Chatzis ( el, Βασίλειος Χατζής, 1870 – 1915) was a Greek painter who was best known for his seascapes. Life Vasileios Hatzis was born in 1870 in Kastoria. His family was involved in shipping, and ...

, ''Boat in rough waters''. Image: Jakobides-2.jpg, Georgios Jakobides, ''Bavarian village''. Image: The sortie of Messologhi by Theodore Vryzakis.jpg,

, ''The sortie of Messologhi''. Image: Gysis Nikolaos Boy with cherries.jpg, Nikolaus Gysis, ''Boy with cherries''.

References

External links