Lot 160: Panos Fidakis (Greek 1956-2003)

View of the Acropolis from Plaka
signed in greek and dated '98' (lower right)
oil on canvas
54 x 37 cm. (21 1/4 x 14 1/2 in.)

Taking a traditional subject, Fidakis presents the ancient monument of the Parthenon in its full majesty without dramatising it. Central to the artist's work is his desire to maintain contact with visual reality, which he conveys through vibrant sensations of colour and light. The viewer's attention is first drawn to the rich variety of shades of green in the foreground and then led upwards to the sacred hill. Using swift brushstrokes, the artist captures the timeless monument in a fleeting moment in time, suggested by the flag blowing in the breeze.