Lot 81: Abstract figure 150 x 110 cm.

Abstract figure signed in Greek and dated '72' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 150 x 110 cm.

150 x 110 cm

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.

Providing equivalents of psychological sensations rather than describing physical properties of the human subject, Abstract Figure epitomises the pictorial qualities that established Theofylaktopoulos as a prominent exponent of European neo-expressionism long before it became a mainstream trend in the 1980s. Painted with vehement brushstrokes and handled in a potent gestural manner, the solitary figure looms out of its surrounding space conveying an exhilarating sense of immediacy and vigour. The smeared area where the face should have been, creates an enigmatic presence that seems -as in many Giacometti paintings- to both confront and elude the viewer, charging the picture with strong emotional and metaphysical overtones.