All about Zakynthos

The painter Nikolaos Ioannou Kantounis (1767-1834) was a priest and an active member of the greek secret Society "Filiki Etaireia". Son of Yannis and Margarita Magdalinos. He was a pupil of Antonios Martelaos in Greek and in painting of Ioannis Hieronymus Korais or Kastrinos and Nikolaos Koutouzis. The latter influenced not only his art but also his life. Thus at the age of 19 he was ordained a clergyman. In 1821 his fiery patriotism cost him six months of exile in the dry land of Dias in Kefalonia. Kantounis left an impressively large number of works.

Characteristics of Kantounis portraits:

• He sees the world around him with a kind and sensitive eye and with an enthusiasm diametrically opposed to the malevolence of Koutouzi.
• Kantounis works more with logic and knowledge.
• His portraits are more organized.
• The colour is more consistent, while
• the intellectual element prevails over sensuality.
• The colour he uses is more sparse, without repetition, worked in soft delicate scales.
• His portraiture now acquires a certain sophistication and elegance, which testify to the French influences of the period.
• It suggests the environment and the atmosphere in which the subjects live.
• The poses have a certain sophistication.
• The face is usually painted at ¾ and stereotypically holds in one hand a letter with the name and address of the sitter.