Artwork
Der Planet (Ο Πλανήτης)
Der Planet (Ο Πλανήτης) is an unspecified work on paper by the Contemporary Abstract artist Sotirios Michou. It dates from 1966 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
Next time you’re in Thessaloniki, look up Michou, Sotirios (1936-2010) at the Museum of Ethnography.
This watercolor shows a tilted blue-green planet floating in a loose ink-and-water sky. A few scratchy lines define landmasses and a single white dot for a moon. The colors stay cool except for one warm streak near the planet’s edge.
Michou often painted landscapes this way in the 1960s. His brush let colors bleed without outlines—almost like a memory of a place rather than a map.
Next time you’re in Thessaloniki, look up Michou, Sotirios (1936-2010) at the Museum of Ethnography.
Overview
Sotirios Michou’s watercolor titled “Der Planet (Ο Πλανήτης)” depicts a stylised planet set against a fluid, ink‑like sky. The composition features a blue‑green sphere, tilted and surrounded by faint, scratchy outlines of continents, a solitary white moon, and a brief warm streak that interrupts the overall cool palette.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents an imagined world, its abstract landforms suggesting a memory rather than a precise geography. The juxtaposition of cool tones with a single warm accent may hint at contrasting forces or moods within the planetary scene, inviting contemplation of the planet’s inner and outer realms.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the work employs loose washes that allow pigments to bleed into one another, eliminating hard edges. Ink‑like lines sketch the continents, while the overall handling reflects Michou’s 1960s approach to landscape, where color and atmosphere take precedence over detailed representation.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the MOMus Museum of Contemporary Art’s collection, which showcases works spanning Michou’s career from 1960 to 2007. It is catalogued among series such as Flowers/Blumen, Cat, Landscape, Greek Landscape, and Poethen, illustrating the artist’s evolution from early drawings and collages to more abstract, concept‑driven compositions.
Context
During the 1960s Michou explored a range of media, including photography, ceramics, and mixed‑media collages, while his paintings shifted toward abstraction with geometric elements. “Der Planet” reflects this period’s experimental spirit, merging landscape motifs with a more universal, almost cosmic subject.
Legacy
Michou’s work, including this watercolor, remains on view at institutions such as the Museum of Ethnography in Thessaloniki, offering insight into his interdisciplinary practice and his contribution to Greek contemporary art.
Artist & collection
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
Continue through works from the same source collection.
