Artwork
Μαργαρίτες
Μαργαρίτες is an unspecified painting by the Naïve art artist George Costakis. It dates from 1984 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
The gray tones aren’t just plain, he used them to push the flowers forward.
A flat table holds a small glass vase with five white daisies. Their stems stand straight in the water. The petals fan out in soft curves. The background is two shades of pale gray, one light and one darker.
Costakis never studied art. He painted for fun in his spare time. The gray tones aren’t just plain, he used them to push the flowers forward. The light side makes them glow. The dark side adds depth like a shadow.
Try looking up Costakis, George (1912-1990) next.
Overview
George Costakis, a self‑taught painter active in the mid‑20th century, created an oil work titled “Daisies.” The composition centers a modest glass vase holding five white daisies on a flat surface, set against a background of two muted gray tones that suggest depth without detailed scenery.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a straightforward still‑life: the daisies’ straight stems rise from clear water, while their petals unfold in gentle curves. By placing the flowers against a neutral, two‑tone backdrop, Costakis emphasizes their form and subtle luminosity, inviting quiet contemplation of ordinary beauty.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the work relies on realistic rendering of the flowers and careful modulation of the gray background. The lighter gray area functions as a luminous field that advances the daisies, whereas the darker gray creates a shadowed recession, producing a simple yet effective sense of spatial layering.
History & Provenance
Costakis never received formal artistic training; he painted as an avocation alongside other pursuits. “Daisies” belongs to a series of landscape and still‑life pieces he produced for personal enjoyment, reflecting his early interest in visual art despite the absence of academic instruction.
Artist & collection
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
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