LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on canvas laid on board

Measurements:

23.23 in. (59.00 cm.) (height) by 37.80 in. (96.00 cm.) (width)

Markings:

signed and inscribed in Greek and dated '1930' (lower left)

Literature:

Written by Vintsentzos Kornaros around 1640, at a time when Crete laid across the lifelines of commerce and culture between Venice and Constantinople, Erotokritos is considered the masterpiece of Cretan poetry and a milestone in the history of Greek . The story of this heroic verse romance runs as follows: Erotokritos falls in love with the King's daughter Aretoussa, whom he serenades night after night. Aretoussa, enchanted by his beautiful songs falls in love too. After various secret meetings between the two lovers, Erotokritos asks the king for her hand in marriage. The king, infuriated by this request, exiles the young lover and casts Aretoussa into a dark dungeon. Later, when the city is about to fall to invaders, Erotokritos arrives in time to save the day. As a reward he asks for the hand of Aretoussa, which is gratefully granted, and the two lovers reign happily ever after over the kingdom of Athens. Setting great store by true love, courage and patriotism, the poem enjoyed immense popularity among Greeks, who learned it from refugees after the fall of Crete in 1669. The romance became a national poem and its hero a symbol of suffering Hellenism, exalted side by side with Digenis Akritas and Alexander the Great.¹¹. See V. Kornaros, Erotocritos, Papazissis editions, Athens 1984, pp. 19-22.,². "bars blocked the window all along", V. Kornaros, Erotocritos, Canto III, ver. 395-396.,³. K. Nitsos, "A Short Note on Theofilos" [in Greek], Theatro magazine, no.4, July-August 1962, p. 7. ,⁴. Nitsos, "A Short Note on Theofilos", p. 7. See also I. Alexopoulou-Kaliyanni, Modern Greek Painting-Sculpture-, doctoral dissertation, Athens 1992, vol. A' p. 115.,⁵. G. Seferis, Dokimes (Treatises) [in Greek], Fexis editions, Athens 1962, p. 58

Provenance:

Private collection, Athens