Βάρκες στο Καρνάγιο (έγχρωμο)

001011 Nikos Yialouris, Boats at the Shipyard, n.d., Indian ink and watercolour on paper, 46 × 63.5 cm

From the very first stages of Yialouris's exploration of drawing and painting, the boat emerged as one of his central themes—alongside the landscape of Chios. Indicative of this devotion is the fact that, during the 1950s, he would frequent the island’s tarsanades (traditional boatyards), where he studied the craft of shipbuilding under the guidance of master builders, shipwrights, and sailors. In this drawing from the Municipal Gallery’s collection—likely created in an early stage of his career—the artist depicts a karnagio (a small shipyard, mainly used for repairing boats). Three large fishing boats and a small skiff to the right are painted from different angles, in such a way that their hulls and shapes are clearly visible. Among the vessels, one can spot telegraph poles and a few dry trees, contributing a somewhat melancholic tone to the image. Yialouris employs a realistic yet free drawing style. He emphasizes the line, using black ink and clean contours. His colours—bright and transparent—revive the composition but serve a secondary role.