Author: Stelios Lydakis, professor of art history at the University of Athens, former director at the Athens City Museum
MELISSA Publishing House
260 pages, 285 color illustrations, hardback, 29x24.5 cm, English
For the first time, readers can access information about Greek naïf painters in English. Explore the world of Greek naive painting through the eyes of professor Stelios Lydakis, whose narrative accompanies the work of the painters presented here. The exponents of Greek naive painting included generally share a nostalgia for the 'paradise lost' of childhood, reminding the age of innocence in their paintings.
The resulting works stand out for their unparalleled warmth. Others are inspired by historical events or social and political mores. Many are self-taught, or started painting late in life, yet whatever their background or education, all share the characteristics of the naïf painter - a pure spiritual, child-like approach. 276 color illustrations, a bibliography, index and dictionary of Greek naïf painters make this book on Greek naive painting a unique contribution to the existing bibliography on this fascinating, highly diverse, often intensely personal, art form.