Portrait of young Frenchman from Besançon
Painter
Yannis Tsarouchis
(1910 - 1989 )
Date1976
Medium
Oil on canvas mounted on plywood
Dimensions47.5 x 36.2 cm
Collection No760
Description"Portrait of Young
Frenchman from Besançon" is
an example of Yannis Tsarouchis mature style, in which one can trace the
origins, influences and conquests of his artistic path. Against a flat neutral
background in green tonalities, attesting to the painter’s profound knowledge
of Byzantine art, the figure emerges with its bold, clearly defined features,
in a direct reference to the colour palette and the calm, yet compelling,
expressiveness of Fayum portraits. The young Frenchman was a real person,
repeatedly portrayed by the painter during his Parisian period. The gaze and
expressiveness of his face provide the key to deciphering the subject’s
character, with the young Frenchman coming across as more brash and assertive.