The Drawing, ca. 1938

Born in the lost Greek homeland of Asia Minor, Diamantis Diamantopoulos matured and was artistically shaped during the 1930s. Like Yannis Tsarouchis, his early work combines the teachings of tradition, particularly those of folk art, with the visual principles of modernism. This depiction of a youth seated on the floor drawing is a typical manifestation of Diamantopoulos’ personal style. The strong, decisive drawing with its emphatic outlines recalls Matisse as well as Picasso. As opposed to Tsarouchis, Diamantopoulos puts particular stress on the volume of the body. Given that the color is flat as per the dictates of modern art, this volume is indicated solely through the drawing and the strong perspectival alliances. The pink flesh, the black, white, red, orange and the touches of complementary blue compose the unadorned chromatic symphony of this powerful work.