Σάββατο 8 Φεβρουαρίου 2020

Nikolaos Georgantis, sculptor





 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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