Biography

Takis Marthas, born in 1905 in the town of Lavrio, was a multifaceted personality who left an indelible mark on Greek art and architecture. His academic journey began at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), where he studied Architecture from 1924 to 1929. Even as a student, his talent and dedication stood out, leading to a position teaching drawing at the Athens School of Crafts for three years, a role he took on following a recommendation by Dimitris Pikionis. Marthas’ career was closely tied to NTUA, where he served as Assistant in the Chair of Descriptive and Projective Geometry and Perspective Shading from 1930 to 1960. In 1960, he was appointed Professor of Freehand Drawing in the School of Architecture, a position he held until his death in 1965. Alongside his academic work, he taught at military academies, including the Officers and Evelpides Schools, and worked as an architect for the Ministry of Health from 1937 to 1939. His work spanned multiple fields, deeply exploring the connections between architecture and the fine arts.[1]

Although Marthas did not formally study painting, his artistic journey began during his student years and developed independently, with paintings filled with sensitivity, subtle hues, and pervasive memories of youth. During the German Occupation, he also engaged in printmaking, aiming to document the tragic events, destruction, executions, and suffering of the time.[2] The 1950s marked a turning point in his artistic path. Gradually, he moved away from representational painting and embraced abstraction. In his abstract works, earlier subjects—seascapes, animals, and human figures—remained faintly recognizable, serving mainly as elements within compositions that emphasized structural design and its dynamic relationship with color, utilizing non-representational compositions, new materials, and techniques.

According to Eleni Vakalo, Marthas was one of the pioneering exponents of abstract art in Greece, at the same time his friend Alecos Kontopoulos, along with Gaitis, Maltezos, and others, referred to as The Extremes, approached art as an expression of inner truth, drawing inspiration from lyrical abstraction and the work of Kandinsky.[3] In Greece, it took time to clarify the ideals and goals of abstraction, as well as to incorporate national identity. For Marthas, the challenge of discovering, embracing, and disseminating the new form of art was an integral part of the creative process.[4] He leveraged his architectural knowledge to experiment with geometric forms and diverse materials, highlighting their unique textures through the surfaces of his works. His art was characterized by the harmonious coexistence of rational and emotional elements.

Takis Marthas showcased his works in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, earning significant accolades. Among them were the Diplôme d’Honneur at the Salon de l’Art Libre in Paris in 1959 and his participation in the São Paulo Biennale in 1961, where he represented Greece with distinction. Additionally, he published articles in newspapers and magazines, focusing on the social role of art and the coexistence of painting with architecture. After his death in Athens in 1965, his work continued to gain recognition and appreciation. Retrospective exhibitions, such as those at the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki in 1990 and the Municipal Gallery of Athens in 1991, highlighted the timeless value of his artistic legacy. Takis Marthas remains an iconic figure who bridged painting and architecture, demonstrating the power of creation to redefine the boundaries of art and tradition.

Georgia Dimopoulou

Classics Scholar – Editor

[1] Takis Marthas, National Gallery – Alexandros Soutzos Museum.

[2] Andreou E., The Allegoric Recall of Descriptive Hypotheses of Art – The Painter Takis Marthas, New York, 1996.

[3] Vakalo Eleni, The Post-War Art Scene in Greece: The Myth of Greekness, vol. III, Athens, 1983.

[4] Kilesopoulou Katia, Sachini Angeliki (eds.), Exhibition Catalogue: Takis Marthas Retrospective, Thessaloniki, 1990.