Two 19th century masterpieces for over 50 years have been in private collections. They will now be presented in the forthcoming auction “Greek Sale” which is organized by the Sotheby’s house on November 22nd. The portraits are titled: “Holy Friday, Greece” (Le Vendredi- Saint, Greece) by artist Theodore Rallis (1852-1909). It was bought in Paris in 1935 by the current owner’s grandfather. Its estimated worth is between 345.510 and 575.827 euros and is an oil painting on canvas. “Holy Friday” portrays a church during Easter preparations. It has four girls working together to decorate the bier with flowers while two priest are talking to each other.
The second painting is titled: “Dance of the Nymphs” by artist Nikolas Gizis (1842-1901). It comes from a private collection in Great Britain and its worth has been estimated between 230.321 and 345.510 euros.
With free use of the brush and ethereal qualities, “Dance of the Nymphs” represents the change in the style of Gizis’s work from the previous accurate representation of life. The artist adopted the style of the Symbolists which prevailed in Europe from the beginning of the 19th century. The flexible use of Gizis’s bier indicates the freedom of the Dance of the Nymphs and their movement in a distance from the audience.
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