Nude 1962

Yiannis Moralis made this nude painting using confident strokes of white, grey and brown paint against a moody dark background. It’s like he built the figure up bit by bit, feeling his way through the form with each brushstroke. You can almost see Moralis in his studio, stepping back from the canvas, squinting, and then lunging forward to add a dab of paint, a line, a shadow. I wonder if he was listening to music while he was painting? I like to, it helps me get into the zone. This painting has such a tactile quality, you can almost feel the texture of the canvas and the thickness of the paint. Look how the white paint defines the curve of the back and the soft shadows suggest depth and volume. Moralis was part of a generation of Greek artists who were looking to find a modern visual language that drew on both Greek tradition and international trends. In this painting I see echoes of Matisse and Picasso, but with a distinct Greek sensibility. It reminds us that artists are always in conversation with one another, building on the ideas of the past while forging their own unique paths.