#Nikolaos Gyzis

[mythologyofthepoetandthemuse]

Pallas Athena by Nikolaos Gyzis, 1887.

[the-evil-clergyman]

Dance of the Nymphs by Nikolaos Gyzis (19th Century)

[oldpaintings]

Nikolaos Gyzis (Greek, 1842–1901)

[psikonauti]

Νικόλαος Γύζης (Nikolaos Gyzis) (Greek,1842-1900)

Αλληγορία της ζωγραφικής (Allegory of painting), 1890

[venustapolis]

Behold the Celestial Bridegroom Cometh (Nikolaos Gyzis, 1895)

[random-brushstrokes]

Nikolaos Gyzis - Test of patience (1880)

[sharpenededges]

Nikolaos Gyzis- Glory Triumphs Over Death - (1882)

[ant1gonesque]

Nikolaos Gyzis, Harmony (1893)

[cleopatragirlie]

Some of my favourite portraits in Athens National Gallery 🎀

[wordsmithic]

"The Soulmother", Nikolaos Gyzis - 1883

A psychomana ("ψυχομάνα", lit. soul mother) in Hellenic/Greek is the term traditionally used for surrogate mothers and wetnurses. There are two theories for what this painting depicts.

The first wants the mother in black to be the biological mother of the child, who envies the other woman for the milk she offers to her child. The basket shows that this woman came for a while, just enough for the child to be fed.

The second theory speculates that the mother of the black-clad child is dead, probably because of childbirth. The child and the woman who brought it are both dressed in black for mourning. Perhaps the woman on the left is the deceased mother's sister. The soulmother will be nursing the child from now on. The feeling of envy could still be present in the black-clad woman. Perhaps she would like to nurse the child her sister left behind but she is unable to offer as much.

Personally, I think the second theory is closer to the artist's intent. In our tradition, it's not appropriate for a child so young to be dressed in black. So if someone dressed the kid like this, it would be for the mother's funeral.

[the-evil-clergyman]

The Spider by Nikolaos Gyzis (1884)

[mysterious-secret-garden]

Nikolaos Gyzis - Psyché, 1893.

[psikonauti]

Νικόλαος Γύζης (Nikolaos Gyzis) (Greek,1842-1901)

Γιάντες (Wishbone), 1879

oil on canvas

[lightthereis]

Nikolaos Gyzis - Archangel (Γύζης Νικόλαος-Αρχάγγελος)

[random-brushstrokes]

Nikolaos Gyzis - Dance Of The Nymphs (n.d.)

[literaryvein-reblogs]