Βουνοπλαγιά

000218 Nikos Yialouris, Mountainside, 1971, oil pastels on cardboard, 110 × 78 cm

The schinos (i.e., lentisk), with its unusual branch structure, sparse foliage, and ability to thrive in barren, inhospitable terrain, has emerged as a symbol of the stark island landscape. In this particular painting—part of a series created around 1970— Yialouris depicts a steep mountainside, essentially a cliff, filled with lentisks. The rocky slope is painted with harsh, sharp lines that define clear colour planes, filled in warm browns, soft greens, and pale yellows, while the sky has a soft ochre hue. Amidst the cubist, crystal-like rock formations, the shapes of the trees emerge. With their thin branches resembling outstretched arms, they give a tragic tone to the strange landscape.