Το φαναράκι από το κάστρο Χίου

005578 Nikos Yialouris, The Red Lantern as seen from the Castle of Chios, n.d., Ink and watercolour on paper, 19.5 × 13.5 cm

“Red Lantern” is the name locals gave to the southern breakwater of the port of Chios. In this early work, Yialouris captures a panoramic view of the old town, looking from the castle toward the sea. In the distance, beneath the setting sun, the lantern can be seen—two slender bands painted in yellow. Despite the strong presence of color, it is drawing that defines the composition: line and broad black planes. Red, yellow, blue, and green shapes animate the picture, giving it a distinctly anti-realistic, almost dreamlike quality, yet they remain bound within the limits set by black lines. Here, the young Yialouris—balancing between drawing and painting, between Cubism and Expressionism—achieves an artistic quality that foreshadows his mature style, with which, a few years later, he would portray in drawings and prints the villages of the island.