Χωριό

000220 Nikos Yialouris, Village, 1996, Indian ink on paper, 68.5 × 48 cm

The villages of Chios were one of Nikos Yialouris's most favourite and repeated themes. The artist began to depict the landscape of the island from his early artistic steps and continued (with the traditional villages as his focus) until the end of his life. This particular drawing dates back to 1996, just a few years before his death. It depicts a village by the sea; the artist focuses on the tiled roofs, while the sea and the sky can be seen in the background (they are more understood in the drawing, as vast zones, than described). Yialouris has chosen a panoramic position—to ensure a better view of the village. He is primarily interested in the buildings, their arrangement and proximity. He is also interested in the rhythm of the image, the antithesis between the tiled roofs and the trees, the strict architecture, and the free form of the natural elements. His main material is ink, worked in fine, thin lines with a pen, while the few black shadows are varnished with a reed pen. His style, despite the necessary simplifications, is realistic, as the painter insists on capturing even the smallest details.