Μπισκίνης Δημήτριος – Dimitrios Biskinis [1891-1947]

ΔΕΙΤΕ ΚΙ’ΑΛΛΑ ΕΡΓΑ ΕΔΩ

Ο Δημήτριος Α. Μπισκίνης (Πάτρα 1891 – Αθήνα, 1947) ήταν έλληνας ζωγράφος της ακαδημαϊκής σχολής. Διετέλεσε καθηγητής στης Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών. Ήταν φίλος με τον Κωστή Παλαμά και εικονογράφησε πολλά ποιητικά έργα του τελευταίου. Ήταν εξαιρετικός προσωπογράφος, αλλά η θεματογραφία του επεκτείνονταν και σε συμβολικές εικόνες ακαδημαϊκού ύφους από την ελληνική μυθολογία και την χριστιανική θρησκεία. Δέκα χρόνια μετά τον θάνατό του, δηλ. το 1957, έγινε αναδρομική έκθεση έργων του στην αθηναϊκή αίθουσα «Παρνασσός». Το 1991, με αφορμή τα εκατό χρόνια από την γέννησή του, έγιναν άλλες δύο αναδρομικές εκθέσεις έργων του στην γενέτειρά του (Δημοτική Πινακοθήκη Πατρών), καθώς και στην αθηναϊκή συνοικία Ζωγράφου, όπου έζησε ένα μεγάλο μέρος της ζωής του (Δημοτική Πινακοθήκη Ζωγράφου).

 

Biskinis was born in Patra and in 1900 he moved to Athens with his family. A year later he begun studies at The School of Fine Arts, where he studied painting from 1901 till 1903 and then from 1906 till 1911 under Constantinos Volanakis, Dimitrios Geraniotis, Georgios Jakobides and Georgios Roilos.
Biskinis is considered to be the main artist of the Greek Symbolism movement. His work is imaginative and evolves into the romantic style of Jugendstil inspired by Greek history, culture and customs.
He is relatively unknown with regards to his great contribution to the graphic arts in Greece. He also worked on uniquely inspired religious icons greatly admired by Polychronis Lembessis.
After fighting in the Balkan Wars, in 1914 he won the Averoff prize along with a scholarship to study in Paris. The First World War delayed his move to Paris until 1919, at which time he finally enrolled at the Académie Julian.
In 1922 and 1923 while in Paris he exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français. There he moved amongst the circle of other Greek artists such as Apostolos Geralis and Georgios Gounaropoulos.
In 1929, a year after returning to Greece he was appointed professor of decorative arts and perspective at The School of Fine Arts, Athens. Towards the end of his life he held the position of vice head there.
Throughout his life he was a close friend of Kostis Palamas and Georgios Drossinis. Both of these great men devoted a number of poems to Biskinis.
His work can be found in The National Gallery of Greece, The Municipal Gallery of Athens, The Municipal Gallery of Rhodes, The Leventis Gallery and many public and private collections.