Τοπίο

000217 Nikos Yialouris, Landscape, n.d., oil pastels on cardboard, 75 × 107 cm

Although undated, this particular work was likely created around 1970, a period when Yialouris's landscapes were characterized by abstraction, and the harsh expressionistic style. The composition is divided into two uneven zones. The lower zone is the land. A flat area in the foreground rises rather abruptly, giving way to a couple of large rock formations separated by a deep ravine. The cloudy sky occupies the upper zone. The crystalline—almost Cubist—depiction of the terrain and mountains stands out, while geometric surfaces interlock like a mosaic or a patchwork quilt. Those surfaces are painted monochromatically, with contrasting, warm colors (browns, reds, yellows, and oranges), alongside a few touches of grey and green. In the lower right, some trees, a stone wall, and a structure are barely visible. The clouds are depicted in curved shapes, and the overall colour palette of the sky creates a sharp contrast to the warm tones of the land. The result—captivating in its rawness and abstract mood—can be associated with the broader climate of Greek art in the 1960s, when abstract painting was dominant.