DIMITRIS LITSAS (1881-1952)

Artist Dimitris Litsas, a Greek from Egypt, was born at the Island of Spetses.  He studied painting with Nicephoros Lytras (1832-1904), Constantine Bolanachi (1837-1907) and George Roilos (1867-1928) and graduated from the School of Fine Arts in 1901.  After finishing his studies he continued at the Drama School (1901-1903) and subsequently worked as an actor with traveling theatrical groups.  With agent Kyriakos Souliotis he traveled at Volos, Constantinople, Smyrna and Alexandria, where he painted portraits and landscapes on his behalf for members of the Greek communities there.  In 1913 he settled permanently at Alexandria Egypt, where he created a Painting School.  He had his first one man show (of the three in total) in that same city.  In 1930 he went to Paris, where he studied old and then contemporary art tendencies (impressionism, cubism, fauvism, expressionism, surrealism etc.) for two years.  He published works of his at literary and art magazines and painted the hagiographies of St. Christopher church at Rasheed in Egypt (1948).  His work is distinguished for its restrained abstract expressionism and a distinct personal style, and has greatly contributed in the promotion of the Egyptian landscape.  Since he had rarely dated his paintings it is extremely difficult to determine their exact date.  However, they are classified at the following periods:  1914-1929, 1932-1940 and 1940-1952.  They may also be divided at the following categories:  Egyptian landscape, flowers, tree trunks, portraits and hagiographies.  Dimitris Litsas passed away in Alexandria Egypt.

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Dimitris Litsas (1881-1952), A great unknown Greek painter in Egypt, Athens 2013 

Portraits

Flowers

Tree Trunks

Egyptian Landscape

Angélique J. Kyriacou (1925-1987) was acquainted with Dimitris Litsas work through her brother Nicolas (1918-1980), a chemist and amateur painter, who was one of his students.  Of the twenty five so paintings that she had acquired together with her husband Demetre P. Canghelaris (1922-1996), a number was given as gift to friends.  Four dear to them paintings (including a superb large size tree trunk) remained at their possession and were sold by the latter after her passing.

To view P. D. Cangelaris book for the artist, please click here:

Ελληνικά

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