Artwork
Blumen (Λουλούδια)
Blumen (Λουλούδια) is an unspecified work on paper by the Contemporary Abstract artist Sotirios Michou. It dates from 1991 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
Michou’s 1991 watercolor shows loose, bright flowers that fill the page with loose washes.
Michou’s 1991 watercolor shows loose, bright flowers that fill the page with loose washes. Soft pinks and yellows melt into the white paper. The stems bend like quick sketches.
He painted this late in life, after decades of collage and abstract shapes. The colors feel fresh, not planned. Watercolor lets him work fast, leaving edges soft.
Try his early drawings next. Look up Michou, Sotirios (1936–2010).
Overview
Sotirios Michou’s watercolor titled “Blumen” (1991) presents a profusion of loosely rendered flowers that dominate the paper. The composition is built from soft washes of pink and yellow that blend into the white surface, while the stems appear as swift, sketch‑like lines. The work reflects a late‑period focus on spontaneous colour and fluid brushwork.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts an informal bouquet of blossoms, rendered without precise detailing, suggesting a celebration of natural vitality through colour rather than literal representation. The absence of defined outlines invites viewers to experience the fleeting impression of a floral arrangement rather than a specific botanical study.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the piece relies on wet‑on‑wet washes that allow pigments to merge and soften edges, creating a luminous, airy effect. Michou’s handling of the medium emphasizes immediacy; the stems are suggested with quick, gestural strokes, while the flower forms emerge from the fluid blending of pigments.
History & Provenance
“Blumen” belongs to the collection of the MOMus Museum of Contemporary Art, where it is displayed alongside works that trace Michou’s career from the 1960s through 2007. The museum’s holdings include his early drawings, watercolours, collages, and later mixed‑media pieces, illustrating the evolution of his practice.
Context
By the early 1990s Michou had already explored collage, abstract geometric compositions, and expressionist landscapes. This watercolor marks a return to a more representational subject after decades of abstraction, using the immediacy of watercolor to convey a fresh, unmediated visual experience.
Artist & collection
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
Continue through works from the same source collection.
