Papaloukas' anthivola

Archaeometrical analysis of mural paintings made by Spyros Papaloukas (1892-1957) in Amfissa cathedral

"Analyse archéométrique des peintures murales entreprises par Spyros Papaloukas (1892-1957) dans la cathédrale d’Amphissa"  --Ioannis Liritzis  et Eliza Polychroniadou

Among the artists who largely contributed to the development of contemporary Greek art, Spyros Paploukas, is undoubtedly a significant figure (Spiteris, 1982; Lambraki-Plaka, 2006). During his studies in Paris he became acquainted with the artistic movements of the 20th century which had a significant influence in his artistic development. 

Throughout his career, Papaloukas ranged over the boundaries of painting, in a constant search of new themes and incentive, an elaborated perfectionist whose creative abilities and esoteric quality enabled him to explore the complex trends in modern painting and produce a series of works varied from impressionism to early expressionism. He uses colour not as a merely descriptive adjunct to form, but as the most potent means of expression and the dominant element of his compositions. 

Between 1926-1932 he undertook a major artistic venture, the painting of the interior murals of the Amfissa Cathedral (Church of the Annunciation) a cross-domed church built in 1868 on the ruins of an early Christian basilica. In this 1000 sq monumental work, Papaloukas, even though he follows the strictly established rules of Byzantine ecclesiastical art, he dares to attempt a revolutionary approach to the aesthetic merits of Byzantine iconography by introducing elements of the post- Impressionists, the Fauvists and the Nabis (Reed, 1966; Binder, 1997). In the mural paintings of the Amfissa Cathedral his main concern was the visual effect of his paint giving less value to the technical process. To achieve this he combined non-homogeneous materials and techniques.....You can read the full article here