Yiannis Moralis (Greek, 1916-2009) Erotic signed, inscribed in Greek and dated '1977' (lower right); signed and dated 'Yannis MORALIS/Athènes-Grèce/1977' (on the reverse) acrylic on canvas 147 x 124 cm. Footnotes: Provenance Zoumboulakis Galleries, Athens. Private collection, Athens. Bonhams, The Greek Sale, 10 November 2008, lot 90. Acquired from the above by the present owner. Exhibited Athens, Zoumboulakis Gallery, Moralis, March 1978, no. 14 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue). Athens, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Yannis Moralis, April - June 5, 1988, no. 89, possibly (listed in the exhibition catalogue, p. 67). Athens, Benaki Museum, Yannis Moralis, September 20, 2018 - February 10, 2019. Literature Yannis Moralis, Commercial Bank of Greece Group of Companies edition, Athens 1988, no. 242, p. 241 (illustrated). C. Christou, Moralis, Adam editions, Athens 1993, no. 168 (illustrated) Y. Bolis, Yannis Moralis, Adam editions, Athens 2005, p. 99 (illustrated). Y. Bolis, Yannis Moralis, Ta Nea editions, Athens 2007, p. 81 (illustrated). Axia newspaper, November 1, 2008, p. 7/58 (illustrated). Kathimerini newspaper, December 25, 2009, Arts and Letters, p. 8 (illustrated). Archaiologia & Technes magazine, no. 111, June 2009, p. 28 (illustrated). Contemporary Greek Art institute Digital Platform, dp.iset.gr, Yannis Moralis Works, p. 3 (illustrated). 'In Moralis's work, the earth of Aegina and the bodies of young girls emerge with the dampness of the sea, like magnified fragments of ancient Greek vases or miniature frescoes from a bygone place of worship.' Odysseus Elytis1 Painted on the island of Aegina2 in the summer of 1977, Erotic demonstrates a striking balance between erotic passion, lyrical feeling and intellectual thought. True to his classical Greek heritage and yet utilizing a formal vocabulary perfectly balanced to the scale of modern sensitivity, Moralis sought the realization of a classical ideal, the discovery of a universal measure for logos and pathos. 'The erotic encounter of two people, life's greatest mystery, stripped from any external element that threatens to alienate it, is depicted in a simple and, therefore, essential way. The figures are broken down to their constituent parts and then reassembled; as a result, the lines take on a symbolic import and respond to each other by means of their contrasts and similarities. Any dryness or harshness that could result from such an austere, constructivist approach, is avoided due to the artist's sensitivity.'3 Imbued with the eroticism of the curved line, Erotic reflects the artist's long preoccupation not only with the suggestively rendered female form, but also with the inner rhythm and musical resonance generated by the combination of varied types, shapes and colours. He used abstraction to isolate the core of human existence, to create a symbolic language of evocative forms that echo age-old memories, freed from the burden of their physical existence.4 As aptly noted by Professor D.N. Maronitis, 'Moralis's paintings take us directly to the wondrous world of pure vision, which emerges, however, from the world of touch.'5 Reviewing the artist's work from the late 1970s, K. Koutsomallis, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, incisively noted: '1976 marks the beginning of a period devoted exclusively to geometric abstraction. His forms now become wholly immaterial, dissolving into pure schemata. Their monumental character does not reduce their sensuality. On the contrary, eroticism acquires its transcendental expression. In no way does this sensual robustness of form—only vaguely reminiscent of nude human figures—take anything away from their graceful tenderness, lyrical quality and richness.'6 The evocative symbolism of the couple's loving embrace and the serene rhythm dictated by the classical sense for human scale, compose a universe of poetic images that echoes the timeless values of ancient Greek art. 1 Preface to the Moralis exhibition catalogue, Iolas-Zoumboulakis Gallery, Athens 1972. 2 In the summer afternoons in the artist's island studio, some close friends had the privilege to first see his latest works. 'Though daylight started to wane, another glow lit the atmosphere, tenderly embracing his 'doric' paintings.' See C. Capralos, Autobiography [in Greek], Athens 2001. 3 V. Karaiskou, 'An Attempt to Approach Yannis Moralis's Work' [in Greek], Sima magazine, no. 7, March-April 1992, p. 20. 4 See Y. Bolis, Yannis Moralis [in Greek], Ta Nea ed., Athens 2007, p. 79. 5 D.N. Maronitis, 'The Gift of Vision' [in Greek], To Vima daily, 15.3.1992. 6 K. Koutsomallis, 'The Painting of Yannis Moralis, a Tentative Approach' in Y. Moralis, Traces, (exh. cat.), Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, Andros 2008, pp. 18-19, 30. 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