Alecos Levidis, The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis

The painting The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis by Alecos Levidis depicts the rider Ai-Giorgis (St. George) standing atop a dead, dried-up scup fish and a moray eel, a beast of the Apocalypse. The painting’s surface, reminiscent of the enigmatic esotericism of Giorgio de Chirico, is dominated by the colour contrast of the cool green-blue and the warm brown tones. The central forms are surrounded by fragments of ancient vases. A well-known verse from the Book of Revelation is inscribed at the top.

The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis was first presented at a group exhibition on the island of Patmos in 1995, on the 1900-year anniversary from the writing of the Book of Revelation. Levidis worked again on the painting at a later time, without departing from the original thematic and stylistic core.

His life in a nutshell

Alecos Levidis was born in Athens in 1944. Between 1960 and 1962 he studied under the painters Kostas Malamos and Alekos Kontopoulos.

In 1963 he attended Scenography classes at the Université du Théâtre des Nations in Paris. Between 1964 and 1969 he studied Architecture at the École de l’ Université de Genève. Since 1971, he has been living and working as a painter in Athens.

Aside from his painting, Levidis has also worked as a visual art editor for books. In 1994 he undertook the translation and annotation of the Greek edition of the book On Ancient Greek Painting by Roman naturalist, natural philosopher and author Plinius.

Artistic influences

Alecos Levidis is an ambassador of representational painting and a descendent of the ideas and artistic sensitivities of the Generation of the ‘30s.

His original visual output draws inspiration from the literary and art realms, balancing between realism and surrealism.

Favourite themes and artistic styles

The diverse works of Alecos Levidis include:

• Paintings
• Theatre scene sets
• Murals
• Covers and posters

The artist consistently uses the montage technique in his works, to capture his personal, compositional vision. For Levidis, painting doubles back on its past, continuously taking on new meanings. In this manner, the artist creates a completely new artistic vernacular.

The work of art in our publications

The painting The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis by Alecos Levidis is referenced in the following Alpha Bank publications:

• The Works, the Landscape, the Buildings. Works of Art at the Alpha Bank Premises in Agios Stefanos (only available in Greek), edited by Irene Orati, Georgia Mazi, Maria Peratikou, Despoina Tsourgianni. The publication presents the exhibits from the Alpha Bank Art Collection that are showcased at the Alpha Bank buildings in Agios Stefanos.
  
  
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1950 until Today (Rhodes), edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition that opened in Rhodes in 2016.

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1950 until Today (Rethymno) , edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete in Rethymno in 2016.

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1950 until Today (Ioannina), edited by Irene Orati and Thomas K. Begas. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition, held at the Municipal Gallery of Ioannina in 2019.

• Mazi magazine (issue 74 , April 2021).

In other literature

The painting The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis is also referenced in the catalogue of the solo exhibition “Twelve Paintings” by Alecos Levidis, held at the Athens Art Gallery in 2004.

The painting The Afternoon Ride of Ai-Giorgis by Alekos Levidis hangs on the ground floor of the Alpha Bank building on 12 Pesmazoglou Street, Athens.

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