Old man's head 1880

Curator: Here we have Nikolaos Gyzis's "Old Man's Head," dating to 1880. It's currently held at the National Art Gallery in Athens. The medium is oil paint. Editor: Immediately striking. It's an intense portrait, unfinished almost. The layering of the impasto is so prominent—raw emotion just radiating outwards. There is also a sense of spirituality to it. Curator: Indeed. This work departs slightly from the idealized academic portraits common at the time. There’s a deliberate choice not to smooth over the subject's age and character, instead almost exaggerating it. We can analyze the impact that studying in Munich had in Gyzis development of realism in portraiture. Editor: And who exactly was this man, I wonder? Not just a face, but a lived history. The lack of detail in the clothing implies this work isn't so much about societal position but about a kind of universal human experience: aging, loss, reflection. Note the headdress and how it suggests that this image of the subject is not based on race or social hierarchies, as the headdress and dress are very reminiscent of common nuns clothing. Curator: That is an excellent point. He does not romanticize this depiction, he shows it rawly. As art shifted more toward individual expression, we can see it represented with his free style and almost caricature type portrait of this anonymous old man. The question is: was this image created as such or was Gyzis experimenting his own understanding and experience as a Greek artist in the Munich's artistic environment? Editor: Exactly, it is an interesting exercise in seeing the role of marginalized groups into canonical representation. To me this work suggests the possibilities in highlighting that type of population, and makes one ask themselves to whom the artist is directing his art at. Who does Gyzis wants to talk to with "Old man's Head?" Curator: A fittingly challenging question. His works show that Gyzis experimented a lot, in line with a society facing profound social, economic, and political changes. Editor: In a very expressionist way! But one of the key notions of Expressionism is the subjective perspective and feelings through an overdone palette, not at all a realistic representation. "Old Man's Head" leaves an important starting point for critical thinking of how an image such as this would fit in art. Curator: Indeed. We can say that Gyzis created an opportunity to represent the reality in painting through new modes of expression that were breaking traditional art forms during the time period. Editor: Beautifully stated. It speaks to the potential of art to open conversations about the diverse experiences that build it and are shaped through those transformations.