"Still Life", 1999
By Panayotis Tetsis (1925-2016)
Oil on canvas, 100Χ100 cm.
Inv. No.: P-103

PANAYOTIS TETSIS (1925-2016)

Born at the Island of Hydra, Panayotis Tetsis had his first painting lessons from Klaus Friesländer.  Later on he studied at the School of Fine Arts, Athens, initially at its Preparatory Workshop (1943-1944) with Dimitris Biskinis and Pavlos Mathiopoulos and then at the Painting Workshop (1944-1949) with Costas Parthenis.  With a state scholarship he continued his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris with Eduard Goerg (1953-1956), while with another one from the Italian government he studied at Ravenna the painting of the Renaissance (1960).  He had his first one-man show in Athens (1948).  Other solo and group exhibitions followed both in Greece and abroad.  At the same time he had illustrated art publications and mural paintings in churches and public places.  In 1962 he was awarded with the "Critics Award - Keranis Prize".  He was a member of the art group "Armos'" [Joint] "A" and "B'" (1949), as well as a founding member and teacher of the Open Study of Fine Arts (later the Vakalo School) 1958-1976.  He was curator for free design at the architectural school of the Polytechnic School of Athens (1951) and has taught the same at the Designers School of the Athens Technological Organization (1958-1962).  Professor of painting at the School of Fine Arts (1976-1991), he was elected dean of that same School in 1989.  In 1993 he was elected member of the Academy of Athens. He was the first to be bestowed with the "Yannis Moralis" Visual Arts State Award, just a week before his passing.  Mainly expressionist in his style, he remained faithful to the principles of traditional painting.  Panayotis Tetsis passed away in Athens (2016).

P.D.Cangelaris, Reflections upon Greek Contemporary Painting, The Cangelaris Collection, vol.2, Athens 1999