Issue No. 13367

 

THE GREEK Maritime Museum in Piraeus, arguably the most appropriate of venues for this sort of show, will host a major exhibition by Greek artist Konstantinos Volanakis, a painter par excellence of seascapes. 

 

Konstantinos Volanakis: The Poet of the Sea gathers under one roof 62 paintings drawn from both public and private collections, both in Greece and abroad. Curated by the National Gallery’s Marilena Kassimati, the show is being held under the auspices of the Aikaterini Laskaridi Foundation.

 

Crete-born Volanakis (1837-1907) from early on sought inspiration in boats, harbours and the sea, all themes that stayed with him throughout his life. The artist began his painting studies in Trieste, Italy, where he moved in 1856, but built a reputation as one of the foremost representatives of the Munich School of Art. 

 

A frequent visitor to Munich’s museums, he had the opportunity to marvel at 17th-century Dutch seascapes. Before long, he became one of the most accomplished seascape painters in Europe. 

 

To this day, Volanakis is instantly recognised for his skilful rendition of vessels anchored in serene harbours, steamboats sailing in stormy seas and fishermen carrying out their daily tasks.

 

His award for the depiction of the Battle of Lissa, in 1866, between the Austrians and Italians, earned him a two-year voyage across the Adriatic Sea aboard an Austrian battleship, where he had the opportunity to study vessels up close. 

 

But it was his return to his Greek homeland in 1883 and his settling down in the port of Piraeus - a move that coincided with the development of shipping in Greece - that further determined his successful course in rendering life on the sea.

 

 

ATHENS NEWS 30/08/2010, page: 28