Cypria is delighted to announce the auction of Quartier Reserve (1953) by Pol Georghiou (1901 – 1972) at its Fine Arts Evening Sale to be held on the 14th of December at Gallery K, Nicosia. The Auction starts at 7.00 pm.
« Quartier Reserve is a rare and extraordinary painting, » says Ritsa Kyriacou, Head Art Consultant and Managing Director of the Cypria Fine Art Auctions. “We thought no painting of Georghiou depicting the star and crescent has survived post-1974. We were overjoyed to discover this one did.” Unlike some other paintings by Pol Georghiou, which may have been exposed to sunlight and other damaging factors, the colours of the Quartier Reserve painting have remained amazingly vivid.
On display ahead of Cypria’s sale, Quartier Reserve speaks to the soul. It depicts a scene from ordinary life within the walled old city of Famagusta. On the coffeehouse to the foreground, a Turkish flag flies on a pole installed on one of the wall columns of the front porch. Contrary to the painting’s title which speaks of a place out of bounds, Quartier Reserve’s vibrant colours and symbols of smooth living create an inviting atmosphere. The coffeehouse in Quartier Reserve is believed to have been frequented by Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Armenians, and that Greek was the language spoken. A close look at the dress code of the people depicted in the painting reveals that they are both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Auction Highlights
Highlights across Cypria’s 14 December Evening Sale include the Influences of Velasquez by Kyriakos Katzourakis (1944-2021), one of Greece’s great contemporaries. Influences of Velasquez is a successful «gathering» of two different artists from two different worlds. Exhibited in 1985 at the Ora Gallery in Athens, the painting is a contemporary conversation with the Old Master (Estimate: € 10 000 – 18 000).
Abstract Composition III (Estimate: € 7 000 – 12 000) and Abstract Composition V (Estimate: € 15 000 – 25 000) by Christoforos Savva (1924 – 1968) stand out with their supremacist and cubist influences alongside references to ornate folk motifs.
The Venetian Walls of the Old City of Famagusta by Solomos Frangoulides (1902 – 1981) is an exquisite painting that stands out with its strong fluidity and balance of form. (Estimate: € 8 000 – 15 000).
Champ D’Avoine (Manner of Monet) (Estimate: € 10 000 – 20 000) alludes to paintings made around 1921 by a group of artists who tried to imitate Monet’s work and market them as authentic works of Monet. This, however, doesn’t lessen its importance as a historical work of the “Monet School” made by an unknown artist with remarkable mastery and deep knowledge of Monet’s paintings.
Another highlight of the Sale is a collection of ceramics led by Flower (Estimate: € 8 000 – 12 000), a beautifully coloured ceramic plate by Michael Kashalos (1885 – 1974).
The collection of ceramics includes selected pieces by Nina Iacovou (1933) known for her mastery in the application of the ancient Cyprus terracotta technique known as “koukoumares”.
Other highlights include a Cypriot clay milk canister created around 1950 by an unknown artist, and three beautiful sculptures by Pambos Michlis (b. 1947).
The 14th of December Evening Sale brings to the market 166 lots. The collection traverses paintings by 19th-century iconic painters to in-demand contemporaries including Andreas Charalambides, Spyros Vassiliou, Dimitris Mytaras, Pavlos Samios, Kostis Georgiou, Renos Loizou, and many more. The collection features works also by artists with less exposure of their work at auctions. Highlights include Dark Bazaar, 2022 (Estimate: € 900 – 1 500) by Andreas C Chrysafis, and Wondering Horizon, 2021 (Estimate: € 500 – 800) by Angie Vein. The sale also includes, prints, lithographs, silkscreens, maps, woodcuts, copper engravings and more. The entire collection will remain on display until the 14th of December at Gallery K. The sale will be live-streamed worldwide through the international art sale platforms invaluable.com and Drouot.com