Κεφαλή Αλέξανδρου

003443 Nikos Yialouris, Alexander's the Great Head, n.d., ink on paper, 43 × 28 cm

The iconic image of the youthful commander—Alexander the Great—has long held fascination for artists. Yialouris engages with it here through the lens of Metaphysical painting and Surrealism, playing with the notions of ancient fragment and commercial object. Specifically, this drawing presents, among the clouds, a realistically depicted fragment of a metallic statue of the ancient Macedonian king. The head appears to be stitched in places. It gently turns to the right, yet its upper portion is missing, leaving a gaping black hole. The Greek letter Alpha is visible on the youth’s neck, while an arrow on his cheek points toward the empty eye socket. Behind the head lies a broken arrow, from which hangs a price tag tied to the shaft. Created likely during the 1970s, the work draws on Pop Art references (recognizable face, arrows, letters, commercial labeling) and Metaphysical painting (the ruined statue) to offer a commentary on the Greek junta (1967-1975) and the exploitation of antiquity during that era.