Ioannis
Vitsaris
ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ΒΙΤΣΑΡΗΣ
Born 1844
Died 1892
Ioannis Vitsaris was Athens
born and bred, and something of a rebel. He rejected the narrow classicism favored
by the sculptors (and buyers) of his day, opting instead for a more realistic
style, something that was considered too avant-garde
by many at the time. The fact that so many well known sculptors subsequently followed
in his footsteps makes it hard today to comprehend the effect his originality had
on his peers– quite a compliment if you think about it. His refusal to
compromise cost him many commissions with the result that, unlike the other
famous sculptors in the First Cemetery whose works are in evidence in Athens
and the rest of Greece, the majority of his work is to be found here in the
cemetery, 5 monuments in all.
His Life:
Ioannis studied at
the Athens Fine Arts School from 1861 to 1864 where he studied under Georgios Fytalis
as well as working at the Fytalis brothers’ studio. Then, with a government scholarship, he continued his studies in
Munich where he excelled.
When he returned to Athens in 1871, he founded his own workshop close to
that of the Fytalis brothers on Academias Street opposite the church of
Zoodochos Pigis. He soon found that his aesthetic was not in tune with the
tastes catered to by rival sculptors, the Fytalis brothers included. They were
still faithful neoclassicists whereas Vitsaris was moving in the direction of realism,
having been influenced by Jean Antoine Hudon (1741-1828), the master of that
style.
Troubles followed.
When he had presented his sculpture ‘The Seated Arab,’ the Committee for
the Olympic Games dismissed it as ‘unfortunate’ although the same work would
later be given a prize in Vienna.
In the competition for a memorial to Byron, he presented a serious and
thoughtful man dressed in rich clothing. That representation did not please that
committee either.
In 1875 he disagreed with
the committee about the correct placement of statues and their lighting on the
south wing of the then Archaeological Museum.
And so on.
Vitsaris simply would
not bow down to the opinion of others if he believed he was correct. Therefore,
many considered him too idiosyncratic and only the urging of his friends
persuaded him to enter competitions at all. In 1878 he did take first prize in a
competition with the subject of Evrykleia’s
recognition of Odysseus in the Odyssey.
In the end, Vitsaris influenced later sculptors such as Demitris Filippotis
to move beyond the narrow straight-jacket of ‘classicism’ in order to find the
‘truth’ of a subject (especially in the dress or in the details) rather than merely
creating a bland and standard interpretation.
Ioannis Vitsaris died at 48 without ever fulfilling his desire to see his works on display in any of
Athens’ many squares. He said, “I believe that when foreign sculptors visit
Greece (and see what is on display) their verdict will be that Greek sculpture
is still in its infancy.”
His Work
Bas Relief of Ioannis Vouros (ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ ΒΟΥΡΟΣ) 1866
Section1, Number 441
Ioannis Vouros was a doctor and teacher at the
University of Athens. This brilliant portrait shows the man as he was, in
contemporary clothing and in a naturalistic pose. A nice comparison might be
Filippotis’ nearby relief on the Family tomb of Emmanuel Efstratiou (Section 4,
Number 465) done 16 years later; its
‘tone’ and style clearly reflect Vitsaris’ aesthetic.
‘Mourning Angel’ 1872, Section
5, Number 889
Grave of the Nikolaos Koumelis Family (ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ ΚΟΥΜΕΛΗΣ)
Here the traditional
mourning angel figure has become itself a symbol of grief. To paraphrase a comment by A Miliarakis’ in
1893: He took a type that was common all
over the cemetery at the time but presented it in a unique way, lying on its
right side with its head cushioned on its arm looking as if it had just that
moment descended from heaven to mourn the death.
At that time, this sculpture was considered very bold. It rewards
viewing from every angle and brings to mind something A. Miliarakis mentioned in
1893 when he quoted Vitsaris who compared his work to the work of painters
saying: the sculptor (τεχνίτης) must continuously work the clay in order
to express what he has in his soul. The painter has to present one point of
view of the image and he has color to help him, but the sculptor has to present
all of the dimensions of the body – whether naked or clothed – in white. (1)
Sofia Chelmi (ΣΟΦΙΑ ΧΕΛΜΙ) 1884
The Chelmi-Simonopoulos grave: Section 4, Number 64
This sculpture is called ‘The Intended Bride with the Rose’
Her expressive eyes seem to speak
Maria Deligannis (ΜΑΡΙΑ ΔΕΛΙΓΙΑΝΝΙΣ) 1885 Section Five, Number
116
The ‘temenos’ of the Deligiannis family is large and impressive,
containing the graves of the Evstathios family as well.
This beautiful
interpretation of Maria (just one of the six sleeping ladies currently in the
First) rewards close scrutiny and, in fact, that half open gate, seems to
invite it.
It has
been damaged by time and weather but its charm and naturalism still evoke the
sympathy that Vitsaris intended. Apparently the ancient Greeks had a method
using wax to seal marble figures intended to be placed outdoors if the marble used
was as porous as this, but that saving technique was unknown in the 19th
century.
Section One, Number 132 1890 ‘Symbol
of Justice’
The Monument of Pavlos Pavlopoulos (ΠΑΥΛΟΣ ΠΑΥΛΟΠΟΥΛΩΣ)
He was a
teacher of law at the Athens University, and a generous benefactor.
This is
the last sculpture he created for the cemetery before his early death. It was
commissioned by the university and, although the theme is traditional, the pose
is not. One critic called it an
example of ‘western baroque’.
For a
discussion and video of his works, try:
Footnote
There is another mourning angel by Vitsaris in Zakynthos:
Sources
1. Α. Μηλιαράκης, «Ιωάννης Βιτσάρης, γλύπτης», Εικονογραφημένη Εστία, Ιανουάριος-Ιούνιος 1893, σ. 211-214 hestia00unkngoog%20(1).pdf
2. To
learn more about Jean Antoine Hudon: http://www.thesculptorsfuneral.com/
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