ALTAMOURAS IOANNIS
A pioneering Greek seascape artist loannis Altamouras was an exceptional talent whose promising career was cut short at the age of 26. During his stay in Copenhagen (1873-1876), where he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts on a scholarship from King George I, the young painter produced a small but substantial oeuvre, which testifies to his creative ability and awareness of the avant-garde trends of his time. His free and lively brushstrokes capture the fleeting beauty of natural phenomena—the movement of travelling clouds, the reflections flickering on the waves, the shifting atmosphere and the mobility of light, while his vibrant palette adds vitality and luminescence to the painted surface.
In Sailing off the Port of Helsingor, one of the finest works by Altamouras in private hands, the fluid, dexterous brushwork and skilful rendering of the quality of light, the jewel-like details, and especially the breadth and openness of the shimmering sky that shines through luminous white clouds, have been brilliantly portrayed, combining academic principles with a vivid sense of onthe-spot immediacy.
Steamboat is a captivating portrait of an elegant beauty briskly Sailing through choppy seas. Portrayed in a broadside view that enables the artist to present her in all her splendour, the smoothflowing vessel exudes an air of confidence, power and mastery of the forces of nature. Based on a vigorous diagonal rhythm that captures the breadth and freedom of the unfathomable sea, Sailing Boat is a fine example of Altamouras’ ability to transform natural elements into lyrical images that echo the allure of late 17th century marine paintings.