Lot 46: Theofilos Hadjimichael (Greek, 1871-1934) Hungarian fight in traditional coffee shop 74 x 103 cm.

Theofilos Hadjimichael (Greek, 1871-1934)
Hungarian fight in traditional coffee shop signed in Greek and dated '1932' (lower left); titled in Greek (lower center)natural pigments on canvas 74 x 103 cm.

Please note that due to Greek regulation, this lot cannot be exported from Greece and will be available for viewing and inspection in Athens either by appointment or during the Athens Preview, 2-4 April 2019. This work will be located in Athens during the auction.Provenance: E. Teriade collection, Mytilene, Greece Private collection, Athens.Literature: Theofilos, Commercial Bank of Greece edition, Athens 1966, no. 191 (illustrated).This picture was painted on the artist's native island of Mytilene, to which Theofilos had returned in 1926-27 following a forty-year odyssey. There, his imaginary universe, which had crystallised on the walls of village houses and shops around Mt. Pelion, came back to life in a new and delightful manifestation. As noted by N. Matsas, "in Mytilene, Theofilos enjoyed a very creative and prolific period, during which he painted some of his best works."1 In the same vein, G. Samourkas holds that "the artist's Mytilene period, which lasted eight years until his passing in 1934, is his most mature; his designs became more confident, his colours warmer, his compositions more structured, his backdrops more embellished and his colour combinations more elegant."2 Although the scene describes a quarrel between Magyars in traditional costumes, Theofilos's roots go way back to the Byzantine world and the ancient Aegean, and it is this heritage that makes him paint in a distinctly Greek manner.3 As the painter O. Kanellis once said, wherever in the world one sees a painting by Theofilos, they will instantly say: "This is no doubt a Greek work of art."4 1 N. Matsas, The Tale of Theofilos [in Greek], Estia publ., Athens 1978, p. 153.2 G. Samourkas, Twelve Folk Painters [in Greek], Athens 1974, p. 90.3 See A. Xydis, Proposals for the History of Modern Greek Art [in Greek], vol. 1, Athens 1976, p. 36-38.4 O. Kanellis, "The Painter Theofilos" [in Greek] in The Painter Theofilos in Mytilene, exhibition catalogue, Mytilene 1962.