Yiannis Tsarouchis (Greek, 1910-1989) The visit signed in Greek and dated '1962' (lower left) gouache on paper 21 x 30 cm. Footnotes: Showcasing Tsarouchis's signature subject and one of the most celebrated images of 20th century Greek art, The Visit conveys a world of clarity and truthfulness, capturing in the male youth's sincere, straightforward gaze, unfeigned composure and sharp, clean-cut facial features the humane dignity and inner strength of Modern Greece. Displaying a creative fusion of fluid line, simplified design and brilliant, translucent colour, the artist conveys a serene world of pure forms, seeking to highlight and ultimately typify the folksiness of his subject and transform it into an enduring symbol of his lifelong quest for Greekness. As noted by critic D. Kapetanakis, Tsarouchis found the truth of Modern Greece in the bodily forms of Greek youth. In contrast to other cultures, such as the French, which are woman-centred, Greece, both ancient and modern, is mainly expressed through masculine types.1 In the same vein, Nobel laureate O. Elytis noted that 'Tsarouchis restored the human body in a land whose age-old civilisation has always been man-centred. Thanks to his paintings, the figures of Hermes, Narcissus, St. Georgios and St. Dimitrios started to live and breathe again and circulate among us.'2 As noted by Tsarouchis himself, 'to speak of the representation of man in Greek art is superfluous because whatever great Greek art achieved through the centuries it was with man as its subject. I think of the Kouroi, the Apollos and the incomparable icons of Christ. The study of the male figures helped me understand what is emphatically called today national identity.'3 1 See D. Kapetanakis, 'Yannis Tsarouchis, Return to Roots' [in Greek], Nea Grammata magazine, 1937. 2 O. Elytis, preface to the Yannis Tsarouchis: Fifteen Works and One Original Print 1938-1963 album [in Greek], 1964. 3 Apodosis, Yannis Tsarouchis Texts dictated to Alexios Savakis [in Greek], Athens 2005, p. 44 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