1912 – 1937
The Early Years
The painter Jannis Spyropoulos was born at Pylos, Messinia, on 12th of March, son of Georgios Spyropoulos and Figaleia Nikolopoulou. He never met his father, who emigrated to America.
J. Spyropoulos with his grandfather. This photo was used for painting the works TKE 237 and 238 (Diakofto, 1918).
Grandfather and grandson, oil on paper.
With his friend and a future renowned actor Dionysis Papagiannopoulos.
J. Spyropoulos in a younger age, in his Sunday's best.
J. Spyropoulos touching the materials of traditional houses, which he later used as an inspiration in his art.
After the death of his mother, Figaleia, J. Spyropoulos remained under the care and guardianship of his mother’s family. Even as a schoolboy his interest and inclination towards painting was evident.
J. Spyropoulos studied at the School of Fine Arts in Athens. Umvertos Argyros, Spyridon Vikatos and Epameinondas Thomopoulos were his teachers.
Posing in his twenties.
1938 – 1949
J. Spyropoulos' Period as an Academic Painter
J. Spyropoulos won the First Prize of a 3-year scholarship for painters to study in Western Europe in a competition held by the Academy of Athens. He travelled to Paris, where he studied in the Ecole Superiéure des Beaux Arts, under Charles Guérin, and the Colarossi and Julian free academies.
J. Spyropoulos' student ID, Paris (27 Apr. 1939).
On the reverse side: “Refugee memories, Marseille 6 Sept. 1939. Outbreak of war”.
During the outbreak of the Second World War, J. Spyropoulos discontinued his studies and returned to Greece.
J. Spyropoulos was recruited by the Workers’ Centre as an artistic director and he was responsible for organising art related events in various workplaces.
The painters Jannis Spyropoulos and Yannis Moralis, the sculptors Christos Kapralos and Lazaros Lameras, George Mourellos, the first wife of Spyropoulos, Machi as seen in the photo.
Photo from 1946 with Dionysis Papagiannopoulos in the play "Little White Lies" by Jacinto Benavente.
D. Papagiannopoulos, oil on canvas.
Announcement of the group show of the Hellenic-French Union in the press with the portrait of Mary Torraki (17 Jul. 1946).
Participation at the first postwar Pan-Hellenic Exhibition, Athens.
1950 – 1952
Cézanne's Influence and Mentorship
First solo exhibition at the Parnassos Hall, Athens.
Kalavrita, path by the creek Ι, oil on canvas.
J. Spyropoulos as he paints the work “Donkeys of Zachlorou”.
Zoe Margariti before her involvement in the life and work of J. Spyropoulos.
1951 – 1955
The Transition to Formal Abstraction & Black Outlines
In September, he met his lifelong companion and wife, Zoe Margariti.
Jannis Spyropoulos with a cigarette, in a typical fifties pose.
In the legendary train wagon at Vouraikos, the Spyropoulos couple with the young George & Sia Prokopiou.
J. Spyropoulos travelled frequently to the Peloponnese and the Greek islands.
J. Spyropoulos at his easel in an island seaside.
Jannis & Zoe Spyropoulos.
Participation at the Biennale of Alexandria, Egypt.
1955 – 1959
Abstract Tendencies & Structured Space
After a visit to Athens in 1956, Herbert Mayer of World House Galleries signed a contract of cooperation with J. Spyropoulos.
The couple in front of the works "Full Moon" and "Stairs of Mykonos".
J. Spyropoulos in front of the work "The Forest".
The couple in front of the work "Composition F".
Jannis and Zoe examine with satisfaction at a just finished work.
The workshop of 11 Sarandaporou Street with the large north glasshouse.
J. Spyropoulos married Zoe Margariti, his lifelong companion.
Participation at the Biennale Sao Paulo, Brasil.
Reissue of Révue d’ Athènes, reviewed by Tonis Spiteris (Feb. 1958).
J. Spyropoulos’ painting "Anafiotika" is one of five Greek works represented Greece in the international competition for the Guggenheim Prize in New York. Other greek artists participating are Yorgos Gounaropoulos, Spyros Vassiliou, Yannis Mitarakis and Panayiotis Tetsis. Yorgos Gounaropoulos won the prize for Greece.
The Spyropoulos couple with V. Vassilikos at the exhibition of the greek candidates for the Guggenheim Prize.
Nikos Kessanlis at Galerie Creuze. On display are the works "Winter day", "Anafiotika" and "Lithies".
1959 – 1964
Gestural Scripts – Mixed Media Techniques, Collages, Tachisme, Informel
J. Spyropoulos represented Greece at the 30th Venice Biennale, where he shared the UNESCO Prize with the Italian artist Antonio Music. In Venice, J. Spyropoulos met artists such as Emilio Petturoti (Argentina), Emilio Vedova (Italy) and Lucio Munoz and Luis Feito (Spain).
First international solo exhibition, World House Galleries, New York.
With the painter Emilio Vedova at the Venice Biennale.
With the President of the Italian Republic Mr. Nenni and the Commissar Toni Spiteris at the XXXth Venice Biennale.
The catalogue cover of the 2nd J. Spyropoulos' solo exhibition at World House Galleries, New York (April 1961).
View of the exhibition space in the house-workshop of 11 Sarandaporou Street.
Oracle Νο 5, 1962, mixed media on canvas.
J. Spyropoulos visited UK, where he met the sculptors Henry Moore, Lynn Chadwick and Eduardo Paolozzi while visiting their studios.
During his solo exhibition at the Kursaal of the Educational Centre, he was awarded with the town’s Gold Medal, Osten Belgium.
Chrysanthos Christou published a monograph on the work of J. Spyropoulos. This is the first reliable and complete approach to the artist’s work up to that time.
Exhibition at the Neue Galerie im Kunstlerhaus, Munich, Germany.
Detail from the "Craters" series from 1962 (I).
Detail from the "Craters" series from 1962 (II).
Detail from the "Craters" series from 1962 (III).
J. Spyropoulos at the World House Galleries exhibition, in front of the "Triptych A".
Lünen, 27 Οct. – 17 Νov. 1963.
Chryssa Vardea's invitation, on the occasion of the third solo exhibition J. Spyropoulos' in New York.
World House Galleries, New York (30 Apr. – 25 May 1963).
Nuremberg, 28 May. - 21 Jun. 1964.
1964 – 1980
J. Spyropoulos as a classicist of abstraction – Development of his Gestural and Symbolic Motifs
Prologos D, mixed media on canvas.
At the Atelier of 11 Sarandaporou Street.
View of the exhibition space in the house-workshop of 11 Sarandaporou Street.
Participation at Documenta III, Kassel, Germany.
Participation at Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, Belgium.
J. Spyropoulos at the entrance of Galerie Arnaud in Paris.
The Israel National Museum of Art, Jerusalem.
J. Spyropoulos with Archbishop Makarios in front of "Pyrassos No 3".
From the opening of the exhibition in Nicosia. Archbishop Makarios is between the Spyropoulos couple. On the left, the Minister of Education Spyridakis and on the right Spyros Kyprianou (April 1967).
David Jones Art Gallery, Sydney, Australia 1968.
Participation in exhibition at Smithsonian Institution’s National Collection of Fine Arts in Washington, D.C.
J. Spyropoulos painting "Logos R" on the floor.
Cover of "Zygos" magazine (Jul. - Aug. 1973).
Participation in the exhibition Documenta Sammlung, Kunstverein, Kassel, Germany.
In December, J. Spyropoulos fulfilled his dream by designing & building a house in Ekali (7 Phaedra Street) , that was also used as Studio and Museum.
The flexible space of the ground floor with the large sliding banners.
The north side with the large window-display of the workshop.
J. Spyropoulos was awarded the Gottfried von Herder prize by the University of Vienna. During the awards ceremony on 17 May 1978 Professor Werner Welzig presented J. Spyropoulos and his work; on the certificate he received, it is mentioned that “The honour befits an artist whose work spearheads essential creations in today’s Greek painting. His paintings have an intense reference to Greek landscapes, the people, and their mythological background. He is, no doubt, one of the innovators in the painting of his land”.
1980 – 1987
Final Period in the Shaping of the Painted Surface
Jannis and Zoe in the Atelier. On the easel is the work "Logos Z".
J. Spyropoulos’ last solo exhibition, organised by the Nees Morphes Gallery. An album was produced containing 8 numbered silk-screens from the exhibited works.
The flexible space of the ground floor with the large sliding banners.
The "guest house" was located on the ground floor.
Part of the entrance to the house-museum of Ekali, with the beautiful cylindrical staircase.
Chair, mixed media on paper.
J. Spyropoulos with Yannis Papaioannou in the atrium of the ground floor.
J. Spyropoulos applies the final layer of "waxing" on an earlier work.
The palette of J. Spyropoulos.
1990
-
Jannis Spyropoulos died the night of 18 May and was buried on 21 May in Kifissia Cemetery. The tomb was adorned with a sculpture by his old personal friend, Giorgos Zogolopoulos.
In November, the Jannis & Zoe Spyropoulos Foundation was established, and it was housed in the residence and museum in Ekali. The philosophy of its statute, aspires to provide a lasting legacy of the late artist’s persona and to support young artists by establishing an annual competition in honour of the artist.
Opening of the J. Spyropoulos Museum.