Tuesday 3 October 2017

Yannis Pappas' workshop





Yannis Pappas' workshop, yet another annex of the Benaki Museum.

I have known of the existence of this annex of the Benaki Museum for a while, but it was only the other day that I visited. When Yannis Pappas died in 2005 he bequeathed his house and all the unsold sculptures to the Benaki Museum. The house is as delightful as the sculptures themselves.




I walked through the gate into the tranquil garden, and towards the house at the end of this path.




The main hall, with stairs leading up to the two floors and the workshop on the left.





A small room on the first floor. There was no artificial lighting throughout the house (except for the workshop) - very unusual for a museum, and it was only when I was processing my photographs that I realised this.





Self-portrait, 1934, (oil on canvas)





Nude, 1934, (oil on cardboard)





Self-portrait, 1933, (oil on cardboard)




Eirene, 1965, (bronze)




looking closer





Study for a skull, 1954, (oil on cardboard)




Dancer, 1996, (oil on cardboard)





Up the stairs I went,




the second floor consists of two rooms, a small one,




and a much larger one









Study for a large monument, 1957-58, (steel plate)





Alekos Zannos, 1942-43, (oil on canvas)




Alekos Zannos, 1943, (plaster)




Diotima, 1993, (plaster)




another sculpture on the balcony





Seated Man, 1964, (plaster)







I moved downstairs and entered the workshop where three sculptors were working restoring some of the work. Impossible to take proper photographs here, as there were so many sculptures








I liked this crucifixion scene, but it's difficult to isolate it given all the other work around it














looking up I could see into the large room on the second floor








Yannis Moralis, the painter, (bronze). You can see some of his work here and here

















Now it was time to explore the garden








Christos Kapralos, the sculptor, 1936, (bronze). You can see his work here











Jocasta, (mother and wife of Oedipus), 1991, (bronze)
















The destruction of Delphi, 1966, (bronze)













Alexander the Great




On the Threshold of the Third Millenium, 1993, (bronze)










Homer, 1996-68, (bronze)




looking closer











detail



detail





Shepherd, 1961, (bronze)




looking closer





And then I saw the tortoises - I first thought they were sculptures





and their baby. 






One last look at the house, and then it was time to go home.




2 comments:

  1. A wondrous space! I can just imagine what an oasis it provides in the middle of Athens, to work and to live - although perhaps quite cold in winter. Glorious nonetheless. I love the photos of the crowded studio with work in all stages, and the tools and detritus of working there too.
    I was intrigued by something in your photo following the one with the fire extinguisher. Are those bas relief wooden figures on the wooden ceiling/top of the wall? They look like veneer or somesuch cutouts of figures - are they parked there, or are they part of a larger image? My curiosity is excited by them.

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    Replies
    1. It was an enchanted morning, Olga. I really enjoyed it.

      As for the bas relief, it run along all four walls of the studio. Why did I not ask what they are? I asked myself that after I left. I admired them, took the photograph to have a record, but did not wonder what they were until afterwards. The sculptors were busy working so I did not want to disturb them, but I could have asked the nice man who took me around the workshop. Unfortunately, it will remain a mystery, unless I go back there some time...

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