PM pays respects to Mytaras, Kounellis
Greek politicians on Friday paid their respects following the deaths on Thursday of two of Greece’s most important 20th century painters: Dimitris Mytaras, aged 83, and Jannis Kounellis, aged 80.
Writing on Twitter on Friday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras described Mytaras as “an important and great representative of the Greek visual arts.”
Born in Halkida in Evia, Mytaras drew inspiration from the human figure within a context of naturalism and expressionism.
During Greece’s military junta from 1967 to 1974, Mytaras focused critical attention on Greek life through a series of realistic works titled “Photographic Documents.”
He was also chosen to create one of the official posters for the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Tsipras also expressed his condolences over the death of Kounellis.
“Another great loss for our culture,” Tsipras wrote on Twitter, noting that the artist’s death “leaves us the poorer.”
One of the leading figures of the Arte Povera movement, Kounellis moved to Rome in 1956. He became known for works that challenged the boundaries between painting, sculpture and eventually, performance.
