Mercury, Venus and Pegasus 1933

Yannoulis Chalepas made this sculpture of Mercury, Venus and Pegasus from plaster. It's all in shades of grey, so you notice the forms and shapes first. The way Chalepas handles the plaster is so interesting. He doesn’t smooth everything out. Instead, he leaves the marks of his making, those ridges and bumps, making the figures feel alive. Look at the head of Pegasus, that winged horse. See how the plaster seems almost roughly applied? But somehow, it captures the energy and power of the mythical creature. This roughness gives the sculpture a raw, emotional quality. It reminds me of the sculptures of Medardo Rosso, who also played with light and texture to create these fleeting, almost dreamlike images. Chalepas embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own interpretations. It's not about perfection but about feeling and expression.