Nikos Engonopoulos’ portrait of the poet Constantine P. Cavafy that was recently sold for 88,500 euros at an auction, now belongs to the Onassis Foundation. The portrait by Greece’s famous surrealist painter, follows a technique characteristic of the Byzantine period.
This was the painting that undoubtedly boosted the fever of the auction which according to estimates was expected to bring 60,000 to 80,000 euros. Fortunately, the new owner will not keep this portrait of unique value closed in a private hall, but will integrate it into the Cavafy Archive.
The Onassis Foundation, which in November 2012 acquired the entire Cavafy Archive, is planning a multifaceted series of actions for the rescue, diffusion and rapprochement of the work of the great Alexandrian. It is characteristic that the purchase of the Cavafy Archive took place at a time there were many interested buyers from abroad – with leading educational institutions among them. Not only has the Cavafy Archive remained in Greece, but it has been enriched as well.
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