WHEN ART BECOMES A MAGICAL LANDSCAPE

THE SUPERB ART COLLECTION OF TSITOURAS COLLECTION

HOTEL IN FIROSTEFANI, SANTORINI

 

With respect and vision in art and hospitality, the important Greek collector and supporter of the arts Mr. Dimitrios Tsitouras  exhibits his exclusive collection of works of art, decorative and historical objects under the title Tsitouras Collection, in Firostefani, Santorini.

 

In the 18th century mansion with the special domed architecture of the Cyclades, the collection is visually defined by the emblematic green wreath designed by Yannis Tsarouchis, which sets the tone for one of the thematic directions of the collection itself.

 

Just as the olive leaves refer to Greece, peace and the goddess Athena, the collection is dedicated with unique attention to Greece and its traditions, as the oil paintings and engravings with philhellenic themes testify. And the collection of engravings in the travel book The Antiquities of Athens London (1762-1816) by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett, in which the ancient Tower of Winds that gave its name to the Caldera House is depicted, shows the love of European travellers for our country.

The same love of the travelers for the country is reflected in the collector's English, Italian and German nautical charts, which date from the 16th to the 19th century.

 

The magic of ancient Greece and the collector's love for it is evident in the works of the collection such as the ceramic dolls Tanagraies and the bust of Sappho, the work of an anonymous Italian sculptor. Ancient marble columns, an ancient amphora evoke awe and admiration next to modern design furniture.

 

The range of the collection is evident from the spectrum of periods it covers. It includes early Renaissance masterpieces such as the traditional Venetian silver lamp decorated with cherubs as well as carved wooden lamps and ornate Venetian mirrors.

The collection has a wealth of valuable works from other favourite periods of Dimitris Tsitouras, such as Byzantine, 19th century, modern and contemporary Greek.

 

A Russian icon of the 18th century, depicts the stern figure of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of the sea. The sea is also honoured in the hand-painted wooden covers that once belonged to Mytilene sailors.

Other important works of the 18th century that are distinguished in the Tsitouras Collection are a traditional dining table, the authentic Corfu nightstand, a typical card table and the church table.

 

However, the 19th century has its place of honour in the collection: a Napoleonic bed, a wooden swimming pool that has been transformed into a coffee table, an old console and two monumental chests from Mytilene highlight the aesthetics of the century through different place names and traditions. The collection of precious white and blue Minton and Royal Copenhagen porcelain plates all hand-painted and placed in an original Chinese cabinet of the same period and the collection of charcoal drawings of the male nude by an anonymous Greek artist of the 19th century also belong to the 19th century.

Modernism makes its appearance through Pablo Picasso's rare ceramic pieces depicting incised fish reliefs.

 

TThe Tsitouras Collection is a unique treasure trove of furniture, objects, pictures, paintings and sculptures that provide visual stimuli and aesthetic sequences against a mythical, incredibly beautiful background. Antique mirrors in gilded frames, Russian icons, ancient lamps, carved wooden cherubs and other gilded iconostasis pieces, the collectible Corfu nightstand is surrounded by magnificent Biedermeier chairs, and ancient marble columns evoke awe and admiration next to modern design furniture and rare photographs of the Tower of Winds.

Unique cultural relics are part of a wonderful collection which also consists of 180 works of great Greek painters such as Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Gikas, Yannis Moralis, Kostas Tsoklis, Kostas Spyriounis, Pavlos Samios, Opi Zouni, on the theme Landscape of Santorini in 20th century painting. The collection was presented in a major exhibition at the Benaki Museum Piraeus, in 2019.

 

A collectible scrapbook accompanies the unique collection of works from the Tsitouras Collection.

 

We would like to thank Mrs. Eleni Tsitoura for her valuable help in the drafting of the tribute.