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Atelier
of Spiros Vassiliou
The artist Spiros Vassiliou lived and worked in a house on Webster
Street, just south of the Acropolis. In 2004, his family decided
to convert the house into a museum and open it to the public.
The purpose of the museum is to familiarize visitors with the
live and work of the painter. The museum houses Vassiliou’s
archive and several paintings are on display.
Spiros
Vassiliou was born in Galaxidi in 1902 and he died in Athens in
1985. He studied art at the School of Fine Arts in Athens and
in other European cities after which he returned to Athens in
1932. His early work includes theatrical sets and the pictorial
decoration of the Agios Dionysius Areopagite church in Kolonaki.
His
themes are inspired by everyday life in Greece. He was especially
inspired by the small neighborhoods of Athens and the life of
simple people which he often painted in a surreal manner. He used
the Acropolis, which he saw every day from his house on Webster
Street, as a background for his paintings and composed urban landscapes
with a unique atmosphere, attention to detail and colorful personalities.
In
his work, one can recognize a subtle irony towards the modernization
of Athens and the loss of the city’s old character together
with its neoclassical and traditional houses, in short, the passing
of an entire era.