Sophia Laskaridou (, 1876 – 13 November 1965) was a Greek artist who was well known for her impressionist paintings in the early part of the 20th century. Later she became better known for her life than for her work.

Life

Sophia Laskaridou was born in Athens in 1876. She came from an affluent and cosmopolitan family. Her father, Laskaris Laskaridis, was raised in London. Her mother, Aikaterini Christomanou-Laskaridou, was born and raised in Vienna and was a pioneer of women's education who founded a girls' school in Athens in 1864 and was the first to introduce physical education for girls. Sophia Laskaridou began painting before receiving any artistic education. At first she focused on landscapes, in part because she did not have the knowledge needed to depict figures. Her decision to paint ''

en plein air ''En plein air'' (; French language, French for 'outdoors'), or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein ai ...

'' was unusual in Greece at the time, particularly for a woman, since there was constant danger from thieves in the countryside. In the period from 1897 to 1907 she participated in important art exhibitions including

Zappeion The Zappeion (, ) is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private and is one of the city's most renowned modern land ...

and the International Exhibition of 1903. She studied at the

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; , ΑΣΚΤ) is a Greek higher education institution, specializing in the visual arts. History The Athens School of Fine Arts was established on 12 January 1837, known as the ''School for the Arts''. In the ...

from 1903 to 1907 with teachers

Konstantinos Volanakis Konstantinos Volanakis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Βολανάκης; c. 1837 - 29 June 1907) was a Greek painter. He is known as one of the greatest Greek seascape painters. Biography Volanakis was born at Heraklion on Crete, to parents ...

, Georgios Roilos,

Nikiforos Lytras Nikiforos Lytras (; 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 completing these studies, he became a ...

and

Georgios Jakobides Georgios Jakobides (Greek: Γεώργιος Ιακωβίδης; 11 January 1853 – 13 December 1932) was a Greek painter and medallist, one of the main representatives of the Greek artistic movement of the Munich School. He founded and was the ...

. She also studied with

Spyridon Vikatos Spyridon or Spyros Vikatos (; 24 September 1878 – 6 June 1960) was a Greek painter and professor. He is considered one of the later members of the The Munich School, Munich School. Life Spyridon Vikatos was born in Argostoli, Cephalonia, in 1 ...

. In 1906 she and Thalia Flora staged a joint exhibition, and in 1907 she held a solo exhibition in "Parnassus". In 1908 Laskaridou left for Munich, and from 1908 to 1916 she stayed in Germany and France, where her work received a positive reception. She had obtained a scholarship from the Bozeiou Endowment that allowed her to study in Munich where she received free lessons at the School of the Ladies Association of Artists. In Paris she studied to the

Académie de la Grande Chaumière The Académie de la Grande Chaumière () is an art school in the Montparnasse district of Paris, France. History The school was founded in 1904 by the Catalan painter Claudio Castelucho on the rue de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, near the A ...

and

Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...

. Her work was shown at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

. Laskaridou returned to settle permanently in Greece in 1916. By this time she was considered a prominent artist. She exhibited in 1924 and 1927 and sold many paintings. After this her work only appeared in occasional group exhibitions. Myths gradually developed about her time in Europe, such as that she had affairs with

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

and

Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...

, and these later became accepted as fact. In 1952 she staged a solo retrospective exhibition. She died in Athens in 1965.

Work

Laskaridou's subjects include genre scenes, portraits, still lifes and landscapes. Her style shows the influence of

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

. Her goal was to capture light and color in her paintings, with drawing and composition secondary concerns.

Publications

In 1955 Laskaridou published her autobiography, ''From my diary. Memories and contemplations'', covering her time in Germany and France. In 1960 she published ''From my diary. Annex: A big love'', in which she described her love affairs with the poet and essayist Pericles Giannopoulos.

Notes

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laskaridou, Sophia 1870s births 1965 deaths Greek women painters Artists from Athens Impressionist painters 20th-century Greek women artists École des Beaux-Arts alumni 19th-century Greek painters 20th-century Greek painters 20th-century women painters