Photis Kontoglou facts for kids
Photis Kontoglou (born Photis Apostolelis, 1895–1965) was a famous Greek artist and writer. He was known for his paintings, especially his religious art called icon painting. He was born in Aivali, a town now in Turkey, and later moved to Greece.
Contents
Who Was Photis Kontoglou?
Photis Kontoglou was a very important Greek artist. He painted many beautiful pictures and wrote interesting books. He is especially remembered for bringing back the old style of Byzantine art in Greece.
Early Life and Education
Photis Kontoglou was born in Aivali on November 8, 1895. He was raised by his mother and his uncle. His uncle was a leader at a nearby monastery. Photis spent his childhood near the monastery, the sea, and with fishermen.
In 1913, he started studying art at the Athens School of Fine Arts. This was where he began to learn about painting.
Discovering Byzantine Art
In 1923, Photis visited the monasteries of Mount Athos. There, he saw many old and beautiful religious paintings, called icons. He learned about the special way Byzantine artists painted. This style became very important to his own work.
Two years later, he married Maria Hatzikambouri. She was also from his hometown, Aivali. They moved to Greece together.
His Artistic Journey
Kontoglou had his first art show in 1923 in Mytilene. He showed his paintings alongside another artist, Konstantinos Maleas.
In 1933, the Egyptian government asked him to work for the Coptic Museum. But Kontoglou decided to stay in Athens. He taught painting classes at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Many of his students became important Greek painters themselves.
Kontoglou also earned a prize in Paris for his drawings in a book called Famine. But he became truly famous for the pictures he drew for his own book, Pedro Kazas.
Painting Churches and Icons
Photis Kontoglou was a very busy artist. He was a strong Orthodox Christian. He worked on restoring old paintings in churches, like the Perivleptos church in Mystras. He believed these old paintings were the best examples of icon art.
He painted new religious pictures in many churches across Greece. Some famous ones include the Kapnikarea church in Athens. He also painted a large picture of the Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople at the town hall of Athens. He painted in churches in places like Liopesi, Patission Street, Rhodes, and Stemnitsa. In Athens, he painted in churches like Saint George at Kypseli and Saint Nicholas at Kato Patissia. He also painted the main icons for a Greek Orthodox church in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States.
His Students and Legacy
Kontoglou taught many students who became famous artists too. One of his students, Georgios Gliatas, painted the dome and other parts of the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. Another notable student was Rallis Kopsides.
Kontoglou as a Writer
Besides painting, Kontoglou wrote many books and essays. In 1961, he won a special award from the Academy of Athens for his book Ekphrasis. In his writings, he often supported Orthodox Christian beliefs. He also shared his thoughts on how the church should stay true to its traditions.
Images for kids
-
Photis Kontoglou's house in Athens
