Everything about Demetrios Galanis totally explained
Demetrios Galanis (
1880-
1966) was an early twentieth century
Greek artist and contemporary and friend of
Picasso. In 1920, the year he completed his `Seated Nude', he exhibited alongside such major figures of modern art as
Matisse and
Braque, while from 1921 on he also exhibited alongside
Juan Gris,
Dufy,
Chagall and
Picasso.
By the early
1920s Galanis was famous in
France and preparing for shows in
Brussels,
London, and
New York. In 1920-21 he frequently exhibited in Paris and in 1922 his first one-man exhibition received the enthususiastic critical response that established his reputation. `Seated Nude' was among the pictures exhibited, and in an introduction to the exhibition
Andre Malraux described the artist's work as "having the power to stir emotions equivalent to that of
Giotto."
This show established Galanis’ reputation as a painter and confirmed the favourable opinions already expressed on the quality of his work. It should be noted that the critics of his time paid much more attention to his figurative work than his landscapes, confirming the well-established view that Galanis’ first and foremost concern was his love for the human form.
Galanis received greater critical acclaim abroad in his lifetime than any other Greek modern artist of the early
20th century. The French state honoured him with the highest distinctions: full professor at the
École des Beaux Arts in
Paris and a life-long member of the
Académie française.
Having moved to Paris in 1900, living close to
Montmartre for fifty years in
Rue Cortot, Galanis developed his artistic talent beyond painting. He was also known for his illustrative wood engravings in books, such as the
Heritage Press edition of
Sophocles'
Oedipus the King and the
Cresset Press edition of
John Milton's
Paradise Lost.
The most significant collection of Galanis' work can be found at the
Teloglion Foundation at the
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, though examples can also be found in London's
Tate Gallery. Galanis' most famous
Seated Nude sold at auction for $221,860 in May 2006.
Forged Signature Controversy
In May 2008, one of three Galanis paintings titled
Lady in White was removed from an auction scheduled for 20th May in
Bonhams' Greek Sale as doubts over the authenticity of the piece caused a stir in the art world. The signature at the bottom right of the painting didn't match those of two almost identical paintings with the same title. One in
London's
Tate Gallery features the artist's signature on the bottom left, one recently sold in
Stuttgart has it in the bottom centre.
The version that was due to be auctioned at
Bonhams, valued at €64,000-€89,000, bears the artist's signature in black. According to the catalog, it was discovered in
Germany by the current owner and is an example of a less well-known period of Galanis' work between 1907-1909 when he was working at various German publications. The piece was probably painted between 1909 and 1913.
The version sold in
Stuttgart's
Nagel Auction fetched only €9,000 because of doubts over the signature, The signature is in orange and with a long tail on the 's' in the surname, which isn't on the painting at
Bonhams. After a Greek Art expert had examined the painting sold in Germany, he concluded that the signature was made some time after the painting had been finished, leading to speculation that it was a forgery, hence leading to the withdrawal of the
Bonhams lot for further investigation.
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