DOI Heft:
Nr. 117 (December 1902)
DOI Artikel:Kaklamanos, Dēmētrios: A Greek painter: Nicolas Gysis
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19877#0210
Nicolas Gysis
glory the summits of the mountains, or at moon- grace. He led a very simple, quiet life, with no
rise, to quote the words of Byron, "long streams unnecessary luxuries about him—a life altogether
of light o'er dancing waves expanded," the beauty absorbed in his work, in his ceaseless endeavour to
spread out before the sensitive gaze of the future retain his individuality unaffected by external sur-
poet made upon his mind an absolutely indelible roundings, to reach an ever higher standard of
impression, so that he carried, as it were, his own achievement. His studio in the handsome
environment with him wherever he went. Never Academy of Art at Munich was a kind of oasis
throughout his life did he swerve from his allegi- of peaceful silence, in which it seemed possible
ance to the supreme law of harmony and of beauty, sometimes actually to hear the soft whispering
the omnipotence of which he recognised from the of the ideal figures with which it was peopled,
first, and which was to the last the inspiration of His home, on the other hand, was full of all
all he undertook. manner of dainty objects of art, rare knick-
There was something of priestly solemnity knacks, statuettes, antique vases, valuable textile
in Gysis' speech ; his voice was clear and fabrics, picked up here and there in his rambles in
sonorous; and his whole bearing left upon the Italy and in the islands of the Greek Archipelago,
spectator an impression of combined nobility and amidst which the artist led a life of unremitting toil.
Two distinct periods, two
totally different phases, can
be distinguished in the more
important works of Gysis;
the first, that, so to speak,
of his initiation of his more
or less successful groping
after certainty of aim, of
realisation of his own powers
in the midst of all the con-
fusion resulting from his
sympathy with conflicting
tendencies, his memory of
his early aspirations, im-
pressions, and disillusions.
The pupil of Karl Theodor
von Piloty, the Greek painter
learnt from him the import-
ance and beauty of correct
drawing and how to appro
ciate truth and vividness of
colouring. Some few of the
early pictures of Gysis reflect
very clearly the influence
of the German master—the
hall-mark of the atelier in
which they were originated,
and in others the spectator
is reminded of the genre
paintings of Knaus and De-
fregger—to the latter of
whom, the intimate friend
of Gysis, we owe an excel-
lent and life-like portrait of
the Greek painter, for full
though these little pictures
'AN ARAB
by nicolas gysis undoubtedly are of life
(In the Possession of Professor F. von Defregger) motion, and humour, exeel-
198
glory the summits of the mountains, or at moon- grace. He led a very simple, quiet life, with no
rise, to quote the words of Byron, "long streams unnecessary luxuries about him—a life altogether
of light o'er dancing waves expanded," the beauty absorbed in his work, in his ceaseless endeavour to
spread out before the sensitive gaze of the future retain his individuality unaffected by external sur-
poet made upon his mind an absolutely indelible roundings, to reach an ever higher standard of
impression, so that he carried, as it were, his own achievement. His studio in the handsome
environment with him wherever he went. Never Academy of Art at Munich was a kind of oasis
throughout his life did he swerve from his allegi- of peaceful silence, in which it seemed possible
ance to the supreme law of harmony and of beauty, sometimes actually to hear the soft whispering
the omnipotence of which he recognised from the of the ideal figures with which it was peopled,
first, and which was to the last the inspiration of His home, on the other hand, was full of all
all he undertook. manner of dainty objects of art, rare knick-
There was something of priestly solemnity knacks, statuettes, antique vases, valuable textile
in Gysis' speech ; his voice was clear and fabrics, picked up here and there in his rambles in
sonorous; and his whole bearing left upon the Italy and in the islands of the Greek Archipelago,
spectator an impression of combined nobility and amidst which the artist led a life of unremitting toil.
Two distinct periods, two
totally different phases, can
be distinguished in the more
important works of Gysis;
the first, that, so to speak,
of his initiation of his more
or less successful groping
after certainty of aim, of
realisation of his own powers
in the midst of all the con-
fusion resulting from his
sympathy with conflicting
tendencies, his memory of
his early aspirations, im-
pressions, and disillusions.
The pupil of Karl Theodor
von Piloty, the Greek painter
learnt from him the import-
ance and beauty of correct
drawing and how to appro
ciate truth and vividness of
colouring. Some few of the
early pictures of Gysis reflect
very clearly the influence
of the German master—the
hall-mark of the atelier in
which they were originated,
and in others the spectator
is reminded of the genre
paintings of Knaus and De-
fregger—to the latter of
whom, the intimate friend
of Gysis, we owe an excel-
lent and life-like portrait of
the Greek painter, for full
though these little pictures
'AN ARAB
by nicolas gysis undoubtedly are of life
(In the Possession of Professor F. von Defregger) motion, and humour, exeel-
198