The National Gallery recently inaugurated a significant retrospective exhibition dedicated to the work of Panagiotis Tetsis, a pivotal figure in Greek post-war painting. Held at the “Antonios E. Komninos Foundation” within the Central Building’s Temporary Exhibition Hall, the exhibition, titled “The Persistence of the Gaze,” will run until October 31, 2025. This major event commemorates the 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth.
Panagiotis Tetsis (1925-2016) was not only a celebrated painter and engraver but also a respected teacher and academician. He held significant positions within the National Gallery, serving as President of the Artistic Committee and President of its Board of Directors. His profound influence, both through his artistic creations and his pedagogical approach, played a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of Greek painting in the post-war era.
Curated by Efi Agathonikou, the exhibition aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of Tetsis’s artistic journey while specifically highlighting his distinctive “gaze.” This unique perspective, characterized by a profound emphasis on light and color, defined his approach to a diverse range of subjects.
Visitors were initially introduced to Tetsis’s world through his depictions of the bustling Open-air Market and the picturesque island of Hydra. This served as a prelude to a deeper exploration of his extensive oeuvre. The exhibition thoughtfully organized his works into thematic groups, deliberately moving away from a strict chronological order. This arrangement allowed viewers to appreciate the artist’s visual idiom and his unique method of observing the world and transforming it into various artistic forms, including paintings, engravings, watercolors, and pastels.
Interestingly, while the thematic groupings provided insight into his artistic concerns, the exhibition also revealed the often-overlapping nature of these themes with chronological periods. For substantial durations, sometimes spanning four or more years, Tetsis engaged in an almost obsessive study of particular subjects. This intensive engagement resulted in the creation of distinct “series” or “units,” such as his portrayals of footballers, gardens, balcony doors, chairs, shipyards, the landscapes of Sifnos, the open-air market, tables, the landscapes of Hydra, boats, seascapes, portraits of friends, still lifes, pine trees, and ultimately, the iconic rocks of Hydra. These painted series were often accompanied by explorations in other media like inks, engravings, and watercolors, reflecting his belief in their interconnectedness and his desire to examine his subjects from multiple viewpoints.
The exhibition showcased a total of 160 works, predominantly paintings, alongside engravings, watercolors, and pastels. A significant portion of these pieces originated from the National Gallery’s own collection, acquired through donations made by the artist himself between 1997 and 2015. Additionally, 64 exhibited works were generously loaned from private and institutional collections. The selection of artworks was carefully curated to underscore Tetsis’s “obsessive” way of observing and visually transmuting his surroundings, as well as to unveil lesser-known facets of his artistic output and stylistic evolution. “The Persistence of the Gaze” offered a valuable opportunity to delve into the rich and influential artistic legacy of Panagiotis Tetsis.
