The painter Thalia Flora-Karavia was born in Siatista in 1871 and passed away in Athens in 1960.
She graduated from the Zappeion Girls’ School in Constantinople (1888).
She studied painting in Munich under Nikolaos Gyzis, Georgios Iakovidis, and Nikolaos Vokos (1895–1898), while simultaneously taking drawing and color lessons with N. Vokos, R. Nauen, and others.
In 1907, she settled in Alexandria, where she founded and directed the ‘Art School.’
She followed the Greek army’s operations during the First Balkan War, the Asia Minor Campaign, and on the Albanian front, depicting scenes of soldiers’ lives, portraits of the protagonists, and various locations. Her testimony of the Balkan Wars, along with the works she created on the battlefield, are contained in her book ‘Impressions from the War of 1912–1913: Macedonia–Epirus’ (1936). For her contribution, she was honored with the silver medal of the Academy of Athens (1945) and the Cross of the Order of Beneficence (1954).
Beginning her exhibition activity in 1898, she presented her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. She also participated in the Paris Exposition Universelle (1900), the Athens International Exhibition (1903), and the Venice Biennale (1934).
Gyzis’s teaching, which emphasized clean lines, careful drawing, and balanced composition, is primarily evident in her portraiture. She initially followed the dictates of the Munich Academy, while later adopting the tenets of Impressionism and en plein air painting.