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Animal Subjects

Immediately after completing his first sculptures and captivated by, in his own words, "les cadences des allures animales" he began their representation. His experience in the world of agriculturre, as much as his classical culture, marked and influenced him. He chose noble animals close to man, bull, cow and horse. These sculptures are the result of long observation and knowledge of these beasts, their anatomy and behaviour as well as their representation in the history of art. In 1962 he completed his bulls, the following year his galloping horse. Later in 1967 he returned to this type of subject with "Cow with a sense of humor".

He  combined the bulls with the cow in a set of three, "Bulls fighting for a cow"  A dramatic work positioned according to individual intuition of the moment. This is possible as each work rests on the animals' feet and not on a support or base.

 

Portraits & miscellaneous

Portraits are, for all artists a separate genre and there are few who do not attempt them. In his early creative period, Ghiorgo Zafiropulo tried in several different forms; busts, bas reliefs, medals and commemorative plaques. These are unique works which were made for his family and close friends.

Religious & Biblical Subjects

Religious or biblical works were carried out mostly during the period of ultimate mastery of his art. They express with great strength and presence his spiritual concerns. As for many religious artists, they unite quintessential qualities of prescision and accuracy of movement, evocative power of the subjects by the mere suggestion of faces and expressions without superfluous use of detail which would detract one's attention. He sculpts these subjects in the same manner as the dancers, the body of Christ in its suppleness approaches those of the athletes but with more elegance. It is the supreme man. There is no sentimentality or lamentation in his "Pieta" which shows Mary worthy and resigned before the sacrifice of her son; ultimate respect for the divine will.

One work stands out from the others by its large size, the "Madonna dell'Unita". Others are a little larger than the dancers, apart from "Eva Venere", showing the importance he gave to his biblical works. Thus the feminine principle reverts in his eyes to its due place.

Paintings

  1. Lans (Tyrol Austria), view from the artist's window, oil on board, 53 x 64 cm.

  2. Salzburg, 1962/63 oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm.

  3. Horse, 45 x 31 cm wash, gouache unsigned, undated.

  4. Portrait, charcoal on serpia paper, initialed GZ and dated upper left 1956, 61 x 48 cm. Photo D. Conan

  5. 6. Iris,  ink and aquarelle irises on sepia paper, dated below right 1.VI.59 et 4.VI.59, 61 x 43 cm.

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