Gifted artist Periklis Pantazis, who died prematurely at age 35, worked in Brussels, where he is considered among the pioneers of Impressionism.
In the “”Still life”” with the unripe greenish quince, Pantazis avoids the dark brown colour of academic painting and builds his subject by broad, free brush strokes.
This transparent vase with peonies, roses, carnations and a fine-stemmed hyacinth has been painted by Gyzis with freedom and artistic sensitivity. The fine gradation of pink and above all the interplay of light, which makes some of the hyacinth flowers glow, have been captured with the utmost gentleness. The bright colours of the flowers project strongly against a dark brown background.
Towards the end of his life, Gyzis produced certain exquisite still lifes in a break from painting large subjects. In this still life, an oval silver plate reflecting a dark light, three well-baked bread loaves and two pieces of pastry are laid on a reddish tablecloth. An opportunity for the masterful artist to prove his hand in capturing textures and creating compositions of minimal colour, in which dark hues along with red colour and the gold colour of the bread prevail.