The painter Odysseas Fokas was born in Klastori, Romania, in 1857 and passed away in Athens in 1946.
He studied Law in Aix-en-Provence (1876) and painting under C. Cartier and R. Collin. Upon returning to Athens, he worked as a cartoonist for the newspaper ‘To Asty’, depicting current events (1885).
In 1905, he undertook the hagiography of the Church of Agios Konstantinos in Athens. In 1915, he was appointed curator at the National Gallery of Greece, to which he bequeathed his personal fortune and his collections of art and objects after his death.
His paintings were primarily presented in group exhibitions, such as the Olympia (1888) and the Paris Exposition Universelle (1900)—receiving a bronze medal at each—as well as the Venice Biennale (1934), among others.
A pioneering spirit, he supported the ‘Techni’ (Art) Group from its inception until its dissolution.
In his works—mainly landscapes—the en plein air pursuits of the Impressionists are clearly visible, with an emphasis on bright colors, soft tonal gradations, and the leading role of light.