Painting depicting Greek soldiers on bayonet charge.
Alexandros Alexandrakis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Αλεξανδράκης; Athens, 1913 – Athens, 1968) was a Greekpainter, who became widely known from his particularly dynamic depictions of the Greco-Italian War.
After the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War, Alexandrakis and his five brothers were conscripted and the artist found himself in the mountainous area of Pindos where he served as a corporal of the Greek Army.[1][2][3][4] Inspired by his situation, he sketched and painted his memories in a series of artworks that made him popular in Greece in the post-war years. A collection of them was published in 1968 with the title 'The War We Fought – 1940-41' (original in Greek: Έτσι πολεμούσαμε).[1][2]
He also focused on Art nude,landscapes, allegorical and genre art. Also in 1958 Alexandrakis was the illustrator of Greek elementary school books for the fifth grade. He became known outside Greece when he started collaborating with institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum and USA Senator Library. He died in 1968, at the age of 55.[1][2]
In 1980, the National Gallery of Greece honoured Alexandrakis with a Retrospection Exhibition. His artworks can be found in the National Gallery of Greece, Athens War Museum and private galleries in Greece and abroad.[1][2][3]
Works
Α. Αλεξανδράκης, Έτσι πολεμούσαμε 1940-41, εκδ. Πάπυρος, Αθήνα 1968. (Publication in 4 languages Greek, English, French και German.)
A. Alexandrakis, The War We Fought, 1940-41, The Hellenic Centre, London 1995, ISBN0-9525518-0-2.
