Sculptor Nikolaos
P. Georgantis (1883 to 1947)
Georgantis’
Sculpture of Georgios Souris
In the First
Cemetery we have often encountered the name of Nikolaos P. Georgantis etched on
a monument. His work is scattered throughout the cemetery and is extremely
varied from an aesthetic point of view. He either possessed a very eclectic
style, was catering to the specific demands and tastes of clients, or both. There is not as much written about him as contemporary
sculpturing greats such as Michalis Tombros, Thomas Thomopoulos, or Iannoulis
Chalapas but, nonetheless, he was a popular choice both inside and outside the
cemetery.
A
Family Affair
One unusual fact sets Nikolaos Georgantis apart from the other sculptors
of his era. Both his wife and daughter were working artists. The Georgantis
workshop was something of a family enterprise.
His wife, Eleni,
was one of the first female students to study sculpture at the Athens School of
the Arts. She continued on to Paris for further studies in design and painting.(1)
His daughter Loukia apprenticed with him from the age of 17 to 27 and, sculpting
being such a collaborative art, it is likely that she had a hand in some of her
father’s work during that period. Loukia
went on to study in Florence and subsequently became as famous, if not more so,
than her father.
Loukia Georgianti
with her father in his studio in 1935
His Life
Nikolaos was born in 1883 and studied at the Athens
School of Fine Arts under the famous sculptor Georgios Vroutos. He continued his studies in Italy (Rome, Florence, and Genoa) and, having been presented with the Chrysovergio
Award, was able to go on to Paris in 1905 where he studied
at the Académie
de la Grande Chaumière and the École des Beaux–Arts. Being in Paris, the centre of arts, sculpture,
architecture, music and fashion, was a wonderful experience for the 22 year
old. He
remained there for three years before returning to Athens in 1908.
While in Paris, he had met fellow student Eleni
Boziki (Ελένη Βοζίκη 1881-1977).
They married, and in 1919, their daughter Loukia was born.
Georgantis became a member of the Association
of Greek Sculptors which was founded in 1929 as a body exclusively for
sculptors and all those involved in the marble arts. Its purpose was to collectively
promote and elevate their art form which previously had been under the umbrella
of the older Association of Greek
Artists, a body dominated by
painters.
His combined home and workshop was at Dionysiou
Areopagitou 23 and faced the ancient Theatre of Dionysos - a wonderful address
then and now. From that location, with a
view of the acropolis, he sculpted commissioned works and sold copies of ancient
sculptures as well.
In 1936 Nikolaos created a wonderful likeness of
Demitris Kambouroglou, one of the most
famous chroniclers of Athens’ history. It is tucked away in a tiny park off
Kydathinaion Street opposite the Cine Paris and is well worth a small detour to
see an example of the sculptor at the height of his powers:
1936: Kambouroglou
is front and centre and I suspect that the man in a droopy cravat standing
behind him is Georgantis (2)
Georgantis died in 1947 at the relatively young age of 64 and his grave (and later that of his wife and daughter) is in the First Cemetery:
Section 5, Number 889
His Work in the First Cemetery
ΕΥΤΥΧΙΑΣ ΜΟΣΧΟΝΑ (1909)
Section 7, Number 423
ΟΙΚΟΥ ΤΑΦΟΣ ΣΗΜΑΝΤΗΡΥ 1916
ΟΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΣΤΡΑ 1918
Section 5, Number 143
ΟΙΚΟΣ Μ.
ΛΕΥΚΑΔΗΝΟΥ
In
the Plaza, Number B/57
ΟΙΚΟΣ
ΤΑΦΟΣ
ΛΑΜΨΑ
ΠΕΤΡΑΚΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ
Section 4, Number 134
Of his many works in the cemetery, the charming
bust of Georgios Souris atop his cairn and hard at work is a personal favourite.
Section 2, Number 468 (1932)
Loukia
Georganti: Sculptress, Artist and
Decorator
After she apprenticed and worked with her father from 1935 to 1946, Loukia went on to continue her studies in Florence at the Scuola dei Arti. She must have been something of a prodigy because she apparently exhibited a work in 1934 at a Balkan Art Exhibition.
The following is an example of her mature style:
To the Unknown Volunteer Sister (Στην άγνωστη εθελόντρια αδελφή) From: http://www.athenssculptures.com/2014/05/volunteer-nurse-memorial.html
Today it sits outside of the Ippokratus Hospital at Vassilis Sofias Avenue
and Angelo Pirrii Streets and has been there since 1972, but the work was
created in 1964 for the Pan Hellenic Art Exhibition (Πανελλήνια Καλλιτεχνική Έκθεση). The following year it was shown in Paris under the name ‘Sister of
Mercy’ and won an award from the Society of French Artists. This sympathetic figure
is elegant in its simplicity. The slight nod of the head, the headdress and the
modest stance, all suggest humility and service.
The years from 1936 to 1946 saw her producing a
series of busts of the prominent
political and cultural figures of her day. The mayor at that time, Konstantinos
Kotzias, was impressed with her work and commissioned her to sculpt mayors and
former mayors of the city. With this collection she became known as the Greek
Madame Tussaud!
Today, this particular
grouping can be found in the great hall of the Athens City Hall.
In 1949, she journeyed to Egypt and created
likenesses of members of all the Egyptian dynasties! This collection is still
in the National Museum of Cairo.
In 1951 she returned to Athens and ran for
municipal office and in 1953, she moved her studio-home to Anapafsios Street 20
just down from the entrance to the First Cemetery. Then, in 1992 she, with her
husband turned 20 Anapafios Street into The
Loukia Georgiandi Museum of Sculpture and Images (Μουσείο Γλυπτών
και
Ομοιωμάτων
Λουκίας
Γεωργαντή).
In the year before her death in 2001, Loukia
donated the museum to the city. It was opened with a lot of fanfare by the
President of Greece, Costas Stephanopoulos, but it has remained closed for
several years now, a sad relic, most likely because the city simply cannot
afford its upkeep.
The
plaster bust on the right is of Kostis Palamas
For a reason unknown to us, the excellent and eclectic Folk Art Museum
of Skyros contains works by Nikolaos, Loukia, and Eleni Georgantis. Perhaps the
museum’s founder, painter Manos Faitaits and his wife, just loved their work.
Footnotes
(1)
Eleni Georganti (1881-1977) hard at
work in the 30s
(2) I scanned this photo from Artemis Skoubourdi’s wonderful
book on Athens ‘Monastiraki-Plaka: Oi Yitonies ton Theon’ , alas only in Greek.
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