Artwork
Κόκκινο πορτραίτο
Κόκκινο πορτραίτο is a drawing by Kostas Tsolis. It dates from 1999 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
This drawing shows a face in red pastels on white paper. Only the eyes stand out, sharp and bright. The rest of the face fades into shadow.
The artist uses quick, rough lines to build the features. The red color makes it feel intense and urgent. It looks like the person could step out of the paper anytime.
Look up Tsolis, Kostas (1964) to see more of his work.
Overview
Kostas Tsolis’s work titled “Red Portrait” is an early piece in the artist’s oeuvre, held by the Museum of Contemporary Art. Executed on white paper with red pastel, the image presents a human face whose features dissolve into darkness, leaving only the eyes sharply illuminated. The composition’s stark contrast and limited palette create a focused, arresting visual encounter.
Subject & Meaning
This focus on the human visage aligns with Tsolis’s broader interest in exploring identity through simplified, emotive portraiture.
The drawing concentrates on a single portrait, emphasizing the gaze of the sitter. By allowing the surrounding facial area to recede into shadow while the eyes remain vivid, the work suggests an inner intensity or psychological presence that persists beyond the surface. This focus on the human visage aligns with Tsolis’s broader interest in exploring identity through simplified, emotive portraiture.
Technique & Style
Tsolis employs rapid, gestural strokes of red pastel, building the facial structure with loose, expressive lines. The limited use of color against a monochrome background heightens the sense of urgency and immediacy. The technique reflects an expressionist sensibility, where the artist’s hand and the medium’s texture convey emotional resonance rather than detailed realism.
History & Provenance
Created during the formative period of Tsolis’s career, the piece exemplifies his early engagement with expressionist approaches to portraiture. It entered the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s representation of late‑20th‑century Greek contemporary art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
Continue through works from the same source collection.
