Yiannis Poulakas

Yiannis Poulakas (Greek: Γιάννης Πούλακας, Agios Georgios Nileias, 1863 – Athens, February 1942) was a Greek painter and probably the first Greek theatrical scene decorator. He was born into a farming family and at a young age, he visited Constantinople, the modern-day Istanbul, where he became a painter. Later, he went to Athens, where he was taught oil painting of sea scenes by Konstantinos Volanakis. Around 1900, he returned to Volos, where he began teachning calligraphy and art. In 1927, he returned to Athens, where he died during the winter of 1942. Among other things, Poulakas was the first Greek who painted scene decorations for the theatre. That was done for the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus around 1895. One of his few remaining paintings can be seen in the Volos' City Hall ("I Navmachia tou Volou sta 1827" = "The Naval Battle of Volos in 1827", around 1920). [Vogiatzis, Fotis. "O Zografos kai protos ellinas skinografos Yian. Poulakas (1863-1942)" [="The Painter and First Greek Scene Decorator Gian. Poulakas (1863-1942)"] , "I Vigla" (Edition of the Nikolas Public Museum - Agios Georgios Nileias Piliou), Volume 19, June 2004, pp. 53-56.]

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