14 Facts About Polychronis Lembesis

Polychronis Lembesis spent his childhood in Salamina, memories of which influenced his artistic work all his life.

Polychronis Lembesis studied painting initially at the Athens School of Fine Arts and in 1875 continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich, thanks to a scholarship by the politician Dimitrios Voulgaris.

In 1880, Polychronis Lembesis returned to Athens and opened his atelier in the Thission district.

Polychronis Lembesis began painting portraits of aristocrats and politicians of his age such as Kapsalis, Santarozas, Serpieris, Levidis and many more.

Polychronis Lembesis taught painting to the children of many of his rich clients such as Stephanos Dragoumis, who later became prime minister of Greece.

Polychronis Lembesis died very poor and largely unknown as an artist, perhaps due to a shift in Athenian artistic taste from the Munich School to more modern artistic movements inspired from Paris.

Polychronis Lembesis was buried in Salamina; to cover the cost of his funeral, his relatives had to sell all of his paintings for 2 to 3 drachmas per item.

Some decades after his death his work has been reevaluated, and today Polychronis Lembesis is considered one of the most important representatives of the Munich School art movement.

Polychronis Lembesis' work is characterised by a particular skill in achieving perfect chromatic tones and a clarity of design.

Polychronis Lembesis is considered the most romantic of all the romantic painters of the Munich School.

Polychronis Lembesis admired Murillo, and often used in his works a similar contradiction of vivid light and dark colours to emphasise chromatically the scenes that he painted.

Polychronis Lembesis was known as a painter of religious scenes, to which he devoted himself after 1883.

Polychronis Lembesis moved his atelier to Stournara Street and was commissioned by many Athenian churches.

Polychronis Lembesis has painted the altar of Saint Dimitrios in Salamina.