Périclès Pantazis

Pericles PANTAZIS (1849 - 1884) FILLETTE AU CHAT Huile sur toile signée en bas à gauche "FILLETTE AU CHAT"; OIL ON CANVAS; SIGNED LOWER LEFT h: 50 w: 40 cm Provenance : Vente Galerie Georges Giroux, Bruxelles, 9 November 1933, lot 121 A l'actuel propriétaire par cessions successives Bibliographie : Georgia Dracopoulou, Pericles Pantazis and the Belgian Painting of the 19th Century, Athens, 1982, p. 86, reproduit Serge Goyens de Heusch, Olga Metzafou-Polyzou & Stephanos Samaras, Pericles Pantazis, Athens, 1994, p. 225, no. 305, reproduit Estimation 10 000 - 12 000 €

Périclès Pantazis (Greek, 1849-1884) Landscape signed 'Pantazis' (lower right) oil on canvas 61 x 130 cm. PROVENANCE: Private collection, Athens. EXHIBITED: Athens, Zappeion Megaron, Panhellenic Art Exhibition 1948 , no 958. Metsovo, The Averoff Museum of Neohellenic Art September 7 - November 19 1996. Athens, National Gallery and A.Soutzos Museum, Pericles Pantazis 1849-1884 , November 25 1996 - January 31 1997, no.71. LITERATURE: S.Gayens de Heusch, O. Mentzafou-Polyzou, S. Samaras, Pericles Pantazis , Evangelos Averof-Tositsa Foundation, Athens 1994, p. 206, no 125 (illustrated). A monumental Pantazis, a tours-de-force of landscape painting and one of the largest pictures by the artist ever to appear in the art market, this exquisite work exemplifies the painter's vision of nature, allowing him to delve into its psyche and discover its deeper meaning without spoiling its virginal beauty. As noted by art historian G. Drakopoulou, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on Pantazis, "the artist approached the natural environment having in mind the teachings of Corot but he simplified his palette to better capture the sense of fluidity of air that suffused his landscapes." Reviewing the artist's work in 1876, art critic Marc Very noted that "Pantazis is a faithful and sincere lover of nature, following it carefully step by step in all its manifestations, in all its transformations. And his work is never trite or repetitive." Here, inspired by the breakthroughs of the Barbizon School, Pantazis departs from the sombre palette dictated by the strict tenets of institutionalised realism and ventures into a skilful handling of light contrasts and luminous atmospheric effects, capturing the vibrancy and power of the expansive landscape. (Compare Seine landscape, E. Koutlidis collection, Athens.) With its sensitive colouring, ease of design, dynamic palette-knife brushwork, deep sense for space and large-scale format, which clearly indicates the importance Pantazis attached to Landscape, this striking picture speaks of the promise and bright prospects of a restless and amazing artist, whose untimely death at the age of 35 deprived the younger generations of Greek artists of a chance to get acquainted at an early stage with the innovative trends emerging in Europe. The Belgians, who claim him as one of their own, rightfully consider him one of the founding fathers of the 19th century Flemish school, along such figures as Guillaume Vogels and James Ensor. . See G. Drakopoulou, Pericles Pantazis in the Context of 19th Century Belgian Painting (doctorate dissertation) [in Greek], Athens 1982, pp. 94-95. . M. Very, L' Artiste , Brussels, 12.3.1876. . See F. Maret, Les Peintres Luministes , Cercle d'Art publ., Brussels 1994, p. 9.

LOT 98 PERICLES PANTAZIS GREEK, 1849 - 1884 YOUNG GIRL KNITTING signed lower right oil on canvas 25,000—35,000 GBP 50 by 40cm., 19¾ by 15¾in. signed lower right Sale: Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, 8 November 1943, lot59Private Collection, AthensSale: Bonhams, London, 23 May 2006, lot 32Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Serge Goyens de Heusch, Olga Metzafou-Polyzou & StefanosSamaras, Pericles Pantazis, Athens, 1994, p. 127 & 224, no.295, illustrated

Periclès Pantazis (Greek, 1849/50-1884) Chemin dans les Dunes signed 'Pantazis' (lower right) oil on canvas 26.5 x 34 cm. PROVENANCE: Raymond Nyst collection, Brussels, c. 1900; De Ridder collection, Belgium; Christies, Greek Sale, 9 December 1996, lot 72; Private collection, Athens. Full of splendour and poetry, Chemin dans les dune exemplifies the artist's new vision of nature, allowing him todelve into its psyche and discover its deeper meaning, withoutspoiling its virginal beauty. Discussing the artist's landscape views of Anseremme - a placeconsidered the birthplace of Belgian impressionism and theequivalent of legendary Argenteuil where Monet and Manet used topaint - Athens National Gallery curator O. Mentzafou-Polyzou made aremark perfectly fitted to Chemin dans les dunes : "In manyof these landscape views, the artist focuses on capturing lushwoods and verdant slopes, the humid air that drenches country roadsand trees and the play of light so suited to the lyrical melancholyof the North. Pantazis organizes pictorial space in such a mannerso as to bring the viewer closer, employing a down-to-upperspective and a high horizon and allowing only a small patch ofsky to show." Following his one man show at the Cercle Artistique et Littérairede Brussels in 1878 - a solo exhibition being very rare at the timewith only Courbet and Rodin having had the privilege - Pantazisreceived favourable critical recognition and soon became widelyknown. Paul Lefort placed him "in the dear tradition of ourimpressionist painters" - the first time a Greek artist wasmentioned in relation to this avant-garde movement- while J.K.Huysmans noted: "Mr. Pantazis should rank among the Frenchimpressionists. He is an audacious and sincere painter, a trueexplorer." See G. Drakopoulou, Pericles Pantazis in theContext of 19th Century Belgian Painting . (doctoratedissertation) [in Greek], Athens 1982, pp. 94-95. O. Mentzafou-Polyzou, 'Themes et Images dans l'oeuvre de Périclès Pantazis' in Périclès Pantazis 1849-1884 ,exhibition catalogue, National Gallery-A.Soutzos Museum, Athens1996 and The Averoff Museum of Neohellenic Art, Metsovo 1997, pp.35-36.

LOT 95 PERICLES PANTAZIS GREEK, 1849-84 STILL LIFE WITH FLOWERS AND FRUIT 18,000—25,000 GBP measurements 40.5 by 55.5cm., 16 by 21¾in. signed lower left oil on canvas PROVENANCE Sale: Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, 25 October 1977, lot395Private Collection, Athens LITERATURE AND REFERENCES Georgia Dracopoulou, Pericles Pantazis and the Belgian Paintingof the 19th Century, Athens, 1982, p. 115, illustratedSerge Goyens de Heusch, Olga Metzafou-Polyzou & StephanosSamaras, Pericles Pantazis, Athens, 1994, pp. 52 & 212, no.184, illustrated