The painter Spyros Papaloukas was born in Desfina, Phokis, in 1892 and passed away in Athens in 1957.
During the period 1900–1906, he received his first painting lessons from his brother-in-law, Nikolaos Papakonstantinou. He studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1909–1916), where he was awarded seven times during the course of his studies. This was followed by further studies at the Académie Grande Chaumière and the Académie Julian in Paris (1917–1922).
He served as a war artist during the Asia Minor Campaign in 1922, during which a major exhibition of his works was organized at the Zappeion Megaron, receiving rave reviews. In 1923–1924, he traveled with his friend Stratis Doukas to Mount Athos, where he studied the Athonite landscape and Byzantine art; this was followed by his first solo exhibition in Thessaloniki in 1924, showcasing these specific works. He participated in all exhibitions of the “Techni” (Art) Group (from 1930 onwards), in the Panhellenic Art Exhibitions of 1938, 1948 (where he won a silver medal), and 1952, in the first exhibition organized by the Greek state at the Royal Academy in London in 1947 (where one of his works was awarded), and in exhibitions organized by the Greek state abroad (1951–1956), among others.He engaged in theatrical set design, painted hagiographies—decorating, among others, the Cathedral of Evangelistria in Amfissa (1927–1932)—and participated in the publication of the magazine Trito Mati (“The Third Eye”, 1935–1937).
In 1940, he served as an artistic advisor to the Urban Planning Service and the Technical Services of the Municipality of Athens, as well as director of the Municipal Gallery. He taught freehand drawing at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (1943–1951), and in 1956, he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts.