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Constantine Andreou
Constantine Andreou
	Andreou in 1954.
Born	24 March 1917; São Paulo, Brazil
Died	8 October 2007 (aged 90); Athens, Greece
Known for	Painting, sculpture
Notable work	Globe – Trinité (1974)
Awards	Gran Prix d' Antoine Pevsner (1988), Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (2000), Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2005)

Constantine Andreou (24 March 1917 – 8 October 2007) was a Brazilian born Greek painter and sculptor with a highly successful career that spanned six decades. Andreou has been praised by many as an eminent figure in international art of the 20th century.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Biography

Early life (1917–1945)

Andreou was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1917 to Greek parents who had immigrated to Brazil a few years prior.^[5]

In 1925, his family moved back to Greece where he settled in Athens until the end of World War II. During these years, Andreou dabbled in crafts and for a period worked as a carpenter making furniture while studying technical design.^[6] He graduated in 1935.^[5] In the same year, he started his study of sculpture,^[5] the art form for which he would be most known later.

In 1939, Andreou participated at the Panellinio (Πανελλήνιο), but the judges disqualified his three sculptures.^[6] In 1942, he tried again at the same competition and with the same artwork.^[6] The pieces were so lifelike, he was accused of cheating by copying nature.^[6] Three major personalities of the time in Greece, Memos Makris, John Miliades, and Nikos Nikolaou, came to his defense.^[6]^[7] As a result of the publicity, he had his first taste of fame and major exposure of his artwork.^[6]^[7]

In 1940, Greece entered World War II on the side of Allies, and by 1941, the country was under Nazi and Italian occupation. Andreou was initially drafted into the Hellenic Army in 1940 and during the occupation he was an active member of the Greek Resistance.^[5]

The war years and occupation did not stop Andreou from continuing his artwork and studies, and in 1945 he won a French scholarship to go to France along with many other Greek intellectuals on the RMS Mataroa voyage.^[5]^[8]

Life in France (1945–2002)

In 1947, Andreou began using a new personal technique employing welded copper sheets. This new technique allowed him to create a new way to express his creation in a way completely unrelated to tradition.^[6]

A major impact on Andreou's method of expression and in the development of his personal "language" was his friendship with Le Corbusier. They first met in 1947 and worked together on and off until 1953.^[6] At one time Le Corbusier asked Andreou, "Where did you learn how to work?" to which Andreou responded "I'm Greek, I carry the knowledge within me."^[6] This friendship instilled in Andreou Le Corbusier's view of architecture as monumental sculpture and, conversely, sculpture subject to the laws of architecture.^[9]

In the same period, Andreou became a member of a select group of philosophers, including Jean-Paul Sartre, who discussed various topics in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.^[10]

Andreou had his first exhibition in Paris in 1951, where he demonstrated the transformation of his style. In the group exhibition "Seven Greek Sculptors", Andreou was characterized as "the most famous Greek sculptor in the capital with a rich, varied and successful work".^[11]^[12] By the end of the decade, Andreou was widely known in the French art scene and considered an equal to Mondrian, Picasso and Gastaud.^[13] In 1982, he was given the lead as chairman of the Paris "Autumn Salon" for sculpture.^[14]^[15]

In 1999, the library of the town La Ville-du-Bois, where Andreou resided while in France, was named in honor of Constantine Andreou.^[6]^[16]^[17]

Throughout his time in France, he regularly visited his friends and family in Greece and many times exhibited his work in various cities and islands there. In 1977, Andreou bought a centuries old winery on the island of Aegina.^[18] He converted it into a house, after being influenced to buy a house on the island by his longtime friend and colleague Nikos Nikolaou.^[18] There in ancient Aegina in the summer of 1985, together with the namesake poet Evangelos Andreou, Constantine Andreou creates a series of twenty paintings entitled "Polymorphs" that are based on the poet's work "Restoration of a Stone Stalk". (Ανδρέου-Ανδρέου/Andreou-Andreou 1987 Ευάγγελος_Ανδρέου)^[el]

Andreou has also participated in the Biennales of Antwerp, the Netherlands, Paris, Venice, and Yugoslavia.^[14]

Later years and death (2002–2007)

Constantine Andreou returned to Athens, Greece, in 2002. He died on 8 October 2007 at his house in Athens, Greece.^[19]^[20]

Legacy

In 2004, Andreou created the "Costas Andreou Foundation" with the stated goal to promote his work in the arts and the significance of sculpture and painting worldwide. The foundation is also to recognize young and upcoming artists every 3 years with an award, based on the decision of an international judging committee. The first time the award was given in March 2008.^[14]

Awards

Gran Prix d'Antoine Pevsner, 1998^[5]^[14]
Croix de Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, 2000^[6]
Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, 2005^[21]

Notes

^ Michel Bourgeois in ANDREOU (in French). Paris, France: Les Editions du Temps. 1984.
^ Greek Minister of Culture (2001). Presentation of 'Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres' to Andreou (Speech). Athens, Greece.
^ J.P. Langlois, introduction - Femme Femmes, peintures. Athens, Greece: G. Giannoussis. 1997.
^ Statement by the Board of Directors of the Teloglion Art Foundation, pg. 8 - Andreou ανδρέου (in Greek). Thessaloniki, Greece: Teloglion Foundation of Art, AUT. 2004. ISBN 960-87805-1-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ANDREOU ΓΛΥΠΤΙΚΗ SCULPTURE – bas reliefs in color. Athens, Greece: Bastas Editions. 1999. ISBN 960-7418-39-5.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Andreou ανδρέου (in Greek). Thessaloniki, Greece: Teloglion Art Foundation, AUT. 2004. ISBN 960-87805-1-9.
^ ^a ^b Μ. Καλλιγάς (June 19, 1942). Πανελλήνια Έκθεση Γλυπτικής-Ζωγραφικής. Ελεύθερο Βήμα (in Greek). Athens.
^ François Bordes, "Exil et création : des penseurs grecs dans la vie intellectuelle française" Archived 2018-11-16 at the Wayback Machine, in Servanne Jollivet, Christophe Premat, Mats Rosengren, Destins d'exilés, Le Manuscrit, 2011, p. 66.
^ Βεατρίκη Σπηλιάδη (1977-06-10). "Andreou". Καθημερινή (in Greek).
^ pg. 31 - L'art abstrait (in French). Paris: Pluriel. 1980.
^ M. Baram (1953). "Sept Sculpteures grecs". France-Grèce (in French).
^ J.A. Cartier (May 7, 1953). "Sept sculpteurs grecs au Petit Palais". Combat (in French).
^ Jean-Paul Sartre (July 1959). "Andréou". Les Temps modernes (in French) (161).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Εφυγε" ο γλύπτης, ζωγράφος και χαράκτης Κώστας Ανδρέου. Kathimerini (in Greek). Archived from the original on 2013-02-17. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
^ Jean-François Larrieu. "Le mot du Président" (in French). Archived from the original on August 28, 2002. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
^ "Bibliothèque municipale Constantin Andréou" (in French). Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
^ Έφυγε ο γλύπτης Κώστας Ανδρέου (in Greek). Ethnos. Retrieved 2007-11-06.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b Διαμαντένια Ριμπά (2007-03-18). Κώστας Ανδρέου-ο Έλληνας γλύπτης- ζωγράφος που δοξάζει το όνομα της Ελλάδας (PDF) (in Greek). ANA-MPA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-03-18. Retrieved 2007-11-12. και συνεργάζεται με τον αδελφικό φύλο[sic] ζωγράφο Νίκο Νικολάου
^ Φτωχότερη η γλυπτική (in Greek). Rizospastis. 2007-12-17. p. 23. Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
^ Απεβίωσε ο καλλιτέχνης Κ. Ανδρέου. To Vima (in Greek). 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-10.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Nominations dans l'ordre des Arts et Lettres de janvier 2005" (in French). Archived from the original on 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2007-05-29.

References

Institut Francais d' Athenes^{[permanent dead link‍]} on CultureGuide.gr (invalid as of January 2007 - site deactivated as per [1]^{[permanent dead link‍]})
ΑΝΔΡΕΟΥ ζωγραφική αναδρομική 1950–1992 (in Greek). Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece – Vafopoulio Cultural Center - Dimitria 27. 1992.
Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. "The meaning of educational manifestations and the participation of the intellectual man - and four artists", Ed. ABHE RAO – SHANTHA INTERNATIONAL INC., New York – 2002
Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. “Modern Greek Artists”, Ed. Epipeda 1984 – 18th Congress of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA)
Evangelos Andreou, ANDREOU. “Painting Contemporary Trends”, Ed. Epipeda 1985 – Athens, the Civilizing Capital of Europe
Max Crose & Jean Goldman (March 1970). "Numėro special, Exposition Andrèou". Almanach (in French) (61).
Andreou. Geneva, Switzerland: Cailler. 1959.
B. Trėhet (1991-03-19). "A.C.A.M. XVIe salon". Chateau du Logis a Brėcey. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Ν. Καλλονάς (June 19, 1942). Πως Ζουν Οι Παλιοί Και Οι Μοντέρνοι Ζωγράφοι. Βραδυνή (in Greek). Athens.
Η Έκθεση Τέχνης Στην Αθήνα (in Greek). Athens. June 23, 1942. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Armando Pacheco Alues (December 12, 1952). "Una visita a Constantin Andréou". Amanhã (in Spanish).
G. Dormand (June 4, 1953). "Jeune sculpture, jeunes sculpteurs au musée Bourdelle". Libération (in French). Paris.
A. Vignaud (June 7, 1953). "Dans les jardins de Musée Bourdelle: la femme au salon de la jeune sculpture". Le Matin dimanche (in French). Paris.
Y. Jean (August 1953). "Flagrantes". São Paulo Magazine (in Portuguese).
M. Marseille (May 3, 1954). "Les expositions". La Vie Judiciaire (in French).
J. Mosellan (May 4, 1954). "Les expositions". Aux Écoutes du Monde (in French).
Y. Jean (August 1954). "Flagrantes". São Paulo Magazine (in Portuguese) (9).
"Un artistio grego expose no rio". A Noite Ilustrada (in Portuguese). October 12, 1954.
R. Kiehl (August 2, 1956). "Andréou". Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French).
J. Cartier (October 15, 1956). "Les expositions". Combat (in French).
A. Marc (April 2, 1958). "Un sculpteur grec a Paris: Andréou". La Lanterne (in French).