Biography

Constantin George Macris, born on April 7, 1917, in Cairo to Greek parents from Kefalonia, was an artist whose work bridges the Mediterranean roots of his heritage with the artistic dynamism of post-war Paris. His early life was marked by the rich, cosmopolitan environment of Cairo, a city that introduced him to major Western art movements through local exhibitions and works by masters like Picasso, Braque, and Matisse. This constant exposure to the avant-garde sparked his desire to explore modern art, particularly the interplay of light, color, and form—a pursuit that would ultimately flourish in Paris, where he moved in 1948 after serving in the Greek Air Force during World War II.

In Paris, the art world’s Mecca, Macris immersed himself in the vibrant artistic scene and enrolled in Fernand Léger’s studio. The following period under Léger’s guidance proved to be pivotal. Léger’s emphasis on composition and liberation through abstraction resonated deeply with Macris, encouraging him to explore the fundamental structures of geometry. Léger’s theory inspired young artists like Macris to engage with form and color independently of traditional representational limits, shaping his distinctive approach to abstract painting.[1]

By the early 1950s, Macris had honed a unique style. His early Parisian works were characterized by a dark palette and simplified forms, capturing the interaction of light and shadow in urban settings, a theme inspired by the city’s night scenes. His compositions displayed an increasing shift toward abstraction, using bright spots and color contrasts that evoked a “primitive modernism.” His work began to attract attention, leading to his inclusion in prominent exhibitions. In 1954, Pierre Loeb welcomed Macris to Galerie Pierre, which showcased the most distinguished artists of the time.

Macris’s style continued to evolve through the mid-1950s, significantly influenced by his encounters with Dutch art and landscapes. During a chance meeting in an art studio, he met Pauline Eecen, a Dutch sculptor whose natural affinity for raw materials and texture paralleled his growing interest in similar compositions. The two artists married in 1956 and fostered a creative partnership marked by mutual inspiration. Their move to the Netherlands from 1958 to 1960 opened a new chapter in Macris’s artistic journey, incorporating softer compositions that echoed the Dutch aesthetic tradition, the gray sky, and the water element.[2] His palette brightened, his lines softened, and his forms embraced the innate fluidity of nature while retaining his abstract, introspective style.

Upon his return to France in the early 1960s, Macris embarked on a period of deep, introspective work. With Loeb’s gallery closing after the dealer’s death in 1964, Macris chose not to seek new representation. This period marked a shift toward more structured compositions and a return to representational art, mainly through portraits and human forms. He found inspiration in the works of Frans Hals, a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his use of light and dynamic brushwork. Macris adapted Hals’s methods, and his reinterpretation of these classical techniques within an abstract context demonstrated his deep engagement with the materiality of color, light, and texture.

The human form became central to Macris’s later work, with simplified, recurring figures that transcended individual identity. His depictions of human forms—heads, seated, and standing figures—invited viewers to find their reflections within the abstract compositions. Through the systematic study and reinterpretation of Hals’s techniques, Macris created figures that occupied and surpassed the two-dimensional plane, engaging viewers in a contemplative exploration of presence and identity.[3]

Macris’s final years were marked by an ambitious project—a series of fourteen large-scale paintings intended to encapsulate his accumulated knowledge and ideas. Unfortunately, his untimely death on September 4, 1984, in Orsay prevented him from completing this series. Macris’s journey in art reflects the deep integration of diverse cultural influences, from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean to the urban complexity of Paris and the cloudy landscapes of the Netherlands. His work remains a testament to the power of artistic evolution, echoing both the transience and resilience of life through a visual language that, though rooted in the mid-20th century, continues to speak to timeless themes of light, form, and human experience.

Georgia Dimopoulou

Classics Scholar – Editor

[1] Joannidès D., “Le Paris des ateliers” in Pauline Eecen & Constantin Macris – Une Aventure Artistique, p. 2, Paris.

[2] “Constantin Macris (1917-1984)” in Neuf artistes grecs abstraits à Paris dans les années 1950, p. 20, Paris.

[3] Macris S., “Les trois périodes de l’œuvre de Macris” in Pauline Eecen & Constantin Macris – Une Aventure Artistique, p. 10, Paris.