Tsarouchis painting “May” breaks painter’s sale record

A painting by Yiannis Tsarouchis (1910-1989) was sold at a world record-breaking price for his work in an auction held in Athens on Thursday, it was reported on Friday.

The painting ‘May’ was sold for 475,542 euros by Vergos Auctions at Zappeion Hall.

It was the highest price ever achieved internationally for a Tsarouchis painting, and took place at an auction on Greek art and sculpture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Starting price was 200,000 euros.

Commenting, auction house Managing Director Andreas Vergos said that the record price for both Tsarouchis’ work and Vergos Auctions “deservedly places our country on the international map of the secondary art market. The collectors once again showed confidence both in our house and in the value and timelessness of modern Greek art.”

“May” belongs to a series of 12 paintings Tsarouchis did corresponding to a month of the year.

Yiannis Tsarouchis, a modernist painter and set designer achieved international fame, and was “known in particular for his homoerotic subjects,” including soldiers, sailors, and nude males.