At the Home of Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas: A Journey to the Heart of Modern Greece

I entered the home of the famous Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (1906 – 1994) on Kriezotou street – next to the Syntagma Square – believing that my visit would be similar to that at the Katakouzenos house, a few weeks ago. After all, both men belonged to the same era, and each left, in his unique way, an indelible mark on arts and sciences. However, I could not be further from the truth.

To start with, the house of Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas is not a simple apartment; it is a 5-storey building, constructed for the Hadjikyriakos family in 1932 by the well-known architect Constantinos Katsikis, following an Interwar (the period between WWI and WWII) architectural style. Today it belongs to the Benaki Museum – a donation by the artist himself before his death.

Although the top three floors are dedicated to the life and art of Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, the first storeys pay tribute to the intellectual and artistic output of Greece during one of the most challenging periods in the country’s modern history. This period starts at the end of World War I, includes the Greek Catastrophe in Asia Minor in 1922, the Second World War, the impact of global revolutions and new ideologies (like Communism), and ends in 1967 (the beginning of a 7-year military dictatorship).

More than 200 artists are presented, including writers, poets, painters, sculptors, actors, directors, photographers, musicians, composers, even architects. Their lives unfold on the walls or inside showcases through samples of their work but, most importantly through personal objects, cartes postales, letters, drafts, and thoughts: all testimonials to the fermentation process, collaborations, and intercultural dialogue that took place during those 50 years of Greek history.

The exhibition is packed with so much information and is so emotionally intense – at least for us, Greeks – that it is difficult to grasp everything in just one visit. And, although the samples of each artist’s creations deserve one’s undivided attention, it is the understanding of the overall background that makes this exhibition priceless.

More specifically – especially for the non-Greek readers:

The first Independent Greek State was formed in 1832, after 400 years of Ottoman occupation and a successful revolution against the Empire in 1821. That first state (initially a Kingdom with Kings coming from European royal families) included a small part (only about one third) of what represents the country’s total area today. Despite the various developments that led to a Constitution, elections, and the active involvement of Greeks in the political scene, Greece was following the guidelines of Western Europe closely, having achieved little in defining its own national path or identity. The character of this period was evident even in the arts where a strict academic direction of a neoclassical style was dominant, presenting the new era in an idealistic – instead of a realistic – way. Influenced by the Munich School of thought, this academic style became an integral part of every artistic expression until the end of the 19^th century.

In the meantime, given the size of the Greek population in regions that did not belong to the Hellenic state (like the southern Balkans, the Aegean, the Ionian Sea, and Asia Minor), the undisputed existence of a strong historical and cultural inheritance in these areas, as well as the memory of the Byzantine empire (an emotional remembrance that had survived through tales and legends), the concept of the “Megali Idea” (Great Idea) was born.

This “Great Idea” maintained a rather nebulous character and was never clearly specified. In general, though, it was an irredentist concept that implied the increase of the Greek State’s territory to include all ethnic Greek-inhabited areas (even if they were still under Ottoman or other sovereignty), and the strengthening of the Greek civilisation’s influence, especially towards the East. Through ongoing efforts and wars, the Hellenic borders expanded over the years, and the successes during the 1912-13 Balkan Wars (which resulted in the annexation of more territories in the North), as well the outcome of World War I (that was unfavorable for the Ottoman Empire), led to the re-awakening of the “Great Idea” aspirations. So, after the Treaty of Sevres (in 1920), the Greek army invaded the Ottoman Empire, starting from Smyrna and the coastal cities (where the Greek-speaking, Greek-orthodox population had a significant presence) and moved into the mainland, towards Ankara, with the intention to turn the “Great Idea” dream into reality. A series of significant military mistakes, the rise of Kemal Ataturk as a visionary leader on the Turkish side, along with the lack of any international support (since such an expansion was never in the plans of the Western countries which, more or less, dictated the political developments in Europe, Middle East, and Africa), led to the 1922 Greek Catastrophe, and the definitive abandonment of the “Great Idea” concept.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Greece – financially exhausted – witnessed large waves of destitute refugees from Asia Minor washing out on the Greek shores, as well as an unprecedented social, economic, and emotional upheaval – which was taking place after 100 years of ongoing combats, and in-between the two World Wars. In the meantime, and especially after the Second World War, changes of a similarly unique nature took place in the global arena: the rise of Communism (which had started at the end of World War I); the fall of the western European empires; the development of many new independent states in lieu of ex-colonies; and the rise of the USA as a superpower.

Within this dynamic environment, the Greeks focused for the first time on understanding and defining their national identity, exploring the inner creases of their psyche. Through art, they reached the borders of what they knew, and, with ongoing experimentation and exploration, they managed to break through. They absorbed the pain of the catastrophe and the thousands of lost human lives; they accepted the abrupt end of an era, they mourned, and, finally, they resurrected from their ashes.

Within this context, the Greek artists decided to shake off the xenomania that characterised the past century and was based on a feeling of inferiority towards the advanced countries of the Western world. Instead, they looked inwards, returning to their roots and tradition, in search of authenticity. The colours of Greece, the transparent celestial light that breathes through the country, nature, our past as well as of our folkloric tradition became the cornerstones of the new era, expressed not only in paintings but poetry, novels, theatre, or music. The impact of the Asia Minor refugees (most of whom were educated and cosmopolitan with a strong love for life and their lands) was substantial since tradition had turned for them into an existential basis – a means to survival, a reminder of their own past and identity, and the foundation of their new reality.

The need of the Greek people to define themselves was so compelling that a phenomenal number of creative and intellectual minds sprouted simultaneously (some of whom were part of a group known as “the Generation of the 1930s” including N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas himself). All these artists and scholars worked together in collaborations that remind those among the Impressionists in France at the end of the 19^th century and initiated an ongoing dialogue with the international cultural and academic scene, gaining widespread recognition and support.

On the first, ark-like floors of the museum, pieces of the soul of more than 200 Greek thinkers have been bestowed, including doubts, pains, experimentations, and successes, taking every visitor on a journey towards the forging of a people’s psyche. Here are a few examples of the exhibits:

The first Nobel prize for Greece, awarded to the poet Giorgos Seferis in 1963

The second Nobel prize for Greece, awarded to the poet Odysseas Elytis in 1979

The suicide note and the gun used by the poet Kostas Karyotakis

Drafts by the architect and artist Dimitris Pikionis

Letter to Mr Benakis by the Greek composer Dimitris Mitropoulos

“The Hungarian dancer Nikolska in the Parthenon, 1929” –  photo by the Greek female photographer Nelly’s (this photo of a naked dancer in the Parthenon caused an international sensation)

“Zalongo” by the sculptor G. Zongopoulos (miniature of the 15-m-high monument in white stone erected at the historical site of Zalongo where Greek women decided to commit suicide instead of falling into the hands of the Turks)

Photo of the first performance (in modern times) in the ancient theatre of Epidaurus (it was “Electra” by Euripides, with the actresses Eleni Papadaki and Katina Paxinou)

Edited draft of the novel “Number 31328” by I. Venezis

A reunion of the “Generation of the 1930s” after 33 years (in 1963), commemorating the gathering on a piece of paper with their signatures

The original kompoloi (rosary) of Vassilis Tsitsanis, one of the leading Greek composers of his time, widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Rebetiko and Laiko music.

The upper floors are entirely dedicated to N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, who spent 40 years in this house. On the 3^rd floor, there are various examples of his art – paintings, drafts, sculptures, manuscripts, and photos – surrounded by sets of furniture coming both from this house on Kriezotou street and from his family home on the island of Hydra (a place where he spent a lot of time during his childhood and youth and had a decisive influence on his artistic development).

On the 4^th floor, the visitor ambles among the living-room, the drawing-room, the office, the dining-room, and the veranda – all kept unchanged. One can admire the innovative interior design, the large painting “Kifissia” (of which the artist was particularly proud) on the wall of the dining-room, and many old, family heirlooms.

The painting “Kifissia” on the wall of the dining room

The veranda (with the marble table designed by the artist). At the time the house was built, the surrounding apartment buildings did not exist, so the view was entirely different

The final floor – the design of which bears the mark of the artist himself – was his atelier: an impressive chamber where one can see numerous bouquets of brushes and sets of paints lined up as if waiting for their owner to return; easels; pieces of furniture from the painter’s various trips; and an impressive library with rare pictorial editions and more than 7,000 volumes focusing on the History of Art (part of this collection belonged to Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas and the rest, to the Benaki Museum).

The Atelier

Note: at the time this article was written, this exceptional museum at the heart of Athens is open only twice per week (Fridays and Saturdays).

Brushes

Photos: © Konstantina Sakellariou

To further explore some of the historically important houses of Athens, complement this article with The House of Katazouzenos, Iliou Melathron, and the Museum of the City of Athens.

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