Yorgos Varkitzis, The University

The work The University by Yorgos Varkitzis depicts the building of the Academy of Athens on Panepistimiou Street. The neoclassical building, designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen, constructed thanks to a donation by Simon Sina and handed over to the Greek government in 1887, dominates in the background of the composition. Its entrance is framed by the sculptures of Athina the Defender and Apollo, both of them works by renowned sculptor Leonidas Drosis, mounted on 2 Ionic pillars. In the foreground, there are 2 sculptures of Socrates and Plato, also by Drosis, which Vakirtzis depicts facing each other. Between them, in the centre of the composition, he placed abstract forms of modern-time people, some standing and others sitting on the steps.

The coexistence of modern people alongside statues of Ancient Greek gods and philosophers in the composition creates a sense of encounter and interaction between past and present.

The use and role of colour

In terms of style, Vakirtzis uses colour in an expressionist manner. He painted the building and the marble sculptures in bright white, which comes in contrast with the deep blue of the almost night sky. At the same time, he depicted people in earthy tones and in an abstract manner. Through these contrasts, he managed to add a symbolic dimension to the composition.

Vakirtzis’ familiar style, known from the large-scale posters he created for some of the most important cinemas in Athens, is also clearly visible.

His life in a nutshell

Yorgos Varkitzis (1923-1988) was born in Mytilene. In 1939, aged only 16, he was accepted into the Athens School of Fine Arts, where he studied painting under Umberto Argyros and Konstantinos Parthenis until 1946. During the same time, from 1938 to 1940, he was trained in the technique of large-scale posters at the studio of Stefanos Almaliotis. Over the period 1952-1953, he continued his studies in painting, engraving and graphic arts at the Fine Arts School in Paris under Jean Souverbie and Edouard Joseph Goerg.

He worked in the field of large-scale cinema posters with remarkable success. From 1945 to 1963, he served as the artistic director of “Skouras Films” and later of advertising company “Gnomi SA”, while he also worked with “Finos Films”.

Apart from cinema posters, Vakirtzis also designed posters for walls and display cases, and created signs and murals for homes, commercial kiosks and stores.

In 1956 he began exploring graphic arts and applied photography. In this context, he undertook the graphic design of numerous publications and created covers for books, albums and magazines.

Artistic influences and style

The artistic style of Yorgos Varkitzis was influenced by:

• Renaissance painting
• Byzantine painting
• Folk art
• The art of large-scale posters

The key features of his works are:

• Free use of the colour scale
• Expressionist use of colour
• Rough designs
• Large classical creations of the past as the backdrop for his compositions

A theoretical interest in art

Along with his important career as an artist, Vakirtzis also developed a vivid interest in art on a theoretical level. In this context, he published studies and the books:

• 25 posters by Y. Vakirtzis, 1963
• Large-scale cinema posters by Y. Vakirtzis, 1968
• Folk signage in Greece, 1973/1974

Participation in exhibitions

The work The University was presented in the group exhibitions:

• The Alpha Bank Collection held at Benaki Museum in 2005.
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today held at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006.
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1950 until Today held in Cyprus in 2008.

The work of art in our publications

The work The University by Yorgos Varkitzis is referenced in the following Alpha Bank publications:

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculptures, edited by Irene Orati.
  
  Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculpture (only available in Greek) on the Alpha Bank e-shop.
  
  
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today, edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition that opened in Thessaloniki in 2006.
  
  Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today on the Alpha Bank e-shop.
  
  
• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1950 until Today (Cyprus, 2008), edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition, held in 3 cities in Cyprus (Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca) in 2008.
  
  
• 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.

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