Economou Michael

Evidencing a talent for painting at an early age he took his first lessons in Piraeus from Konstantinos Volanakis. In 1906 he went to Paris with the aim of studying shipbuilding, but his contact with the artistic currents dominant in that period in the French capital and his acquaintance with Periklis Vyzantios, Juan Gris and other painters made him turn to the School of Fine Arts.

In Paris, where he remained until 1926, he had his first solo show in 1913 at the Bernheim gallery. At the same time he participated in group exhibitions in the French capital, London and Athens. In Greece he organized his first solo exhibition in 1926 at the Parnassos Hall, continuing to work and present paintings in group exhibitions until 1933 when he died at the Dromokaiteio Mental Hospital. In 1961 a retrospective of his work was held at the Armos gallery.

Landscape was the central interest of his painting. Isolated houses at the edge of the sea, row-boats and chapels enveloped in a dreamy and romantic atmosphere were some of his favourite subjects. His style was influenced by the painting of the Nabis and the Syntheticists and to achieve the desired result he used not only canvas and hardboard but undershirts, old sheets, the smooth side of kitchen oilcloth and even the rags on which he had wiped his brushes.