Georgios Bouzianis (Greek, 1885-1959) Mänlicher Kopf signed Jo Bouzianis (lower right) and titled and signed on the pass-par-tout watercolor on paper 44 x 30 cm. Footnotes: Painted c. 1913-1915. Exhibited Athens, Bouzianis House Museum - Bouzianis Cultural Centre, Bouzianis Returns Home, October 4-31, 2010 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 17). Thessaloniki, Tellogleio Art Institute, Selections of a Bold Collector, Stavros Tsigkoglou, February 2017, no. 77 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 104). Literature D. Deliyannis, Yorgos Bouzianis 1885-1959, Adam editions, Athens 1996, no. 1 (additional catalogue entry), p. 313 (catalogued), 69 (illustrated). Newspaper clipping, c. 1990s (illustrated). 'Bouzianis's watercolours confirm his status as one of the greatest artists of his time.' - Dr. H. Hofmann, 1928.1 Invested with the lightness of watercolour and painted with a directness that immediately captures the eye, this brilliant self-portrait of fluid colour and evocative form sings a Mediterranean, Grecian song, full of sun and golden light.2 Reviewing the 1932 exhibition of Bouzianis's watercolours at the Barchfeld gallery in Leipzig, art critic M. Schwimmer remarked: 'Employing the most frugal means, the artist conveys powerful and insightful impressions, a sense experience of form and colour more intense than any offered by even the best watercolours by Nolde or Kirchner,'3 while in an essay prefacing the artist's 1965 posthumous retrospective in Athens, art critic G. Mourelos noted: 'Bouzianis's watercolours constitute a monumental accomplishment in contemporary European art.'4 As noted by Professor D. Deliyannis, who prepared the artist's monograph, 'Bouzianis's portraits are by no means static. A slight differentiation in the rendering of the eyes suffices to suggest the sitter's active presence. One of the key characteristics of Bouzianis' portraiture is the frontal pose. That's why he pays close attention to the depiction of the eyes. His insistence on frontality is not of minor import. He breaks away from ancient Greek portraiture, while retaining a close relationship with the Byzantine style.'5 Indeed, the frontality of the portrait, set against a barren background, is akin to the perception governing icon painting and endows it with a symbolic dimension, as if it were the image of a modern saint. 1 H. Hofmann, Leipziger Abendost daily, September 6, 1928. 2 See C.S. Spencer, 'George Bousianis', Studio magazine, vol. 159, no. 806, June 1960, p. 206. 3 MS, Leipziger Volkszeitung daily, December 23, 1932. 4 G. Mourelos, preface to Bouzianis-Watercolours [in Greek], exhibition catalogue, Greek-American Union, Athens 1965. 5 D. Deliyannis, Bouzianis [in Greek], Athens 1996, pp. 38, 39. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com