John Christoforou (1921-2014) was born to Greek parents in London, England. He spent his childhood in Greece and, after the Second World War, lived in England and France working as an artist. He became part of the Nouvelle Figuration movement, an expressionist approach to the arts which marked a transition from the abstraction of the 1950s to more figurative art in 1960s European and North American artistic communities. Other artists working in this vein were Francis Bacon and David Hockney.
Documentation on the back of this charcoal portrait suggests that it came from Gallery One, a notable contemporary art gallery on D’Arblay Street in Soho. Christoforou showed at the gallery in the 1950s.
Christoforou’s portraits are often large, colourful compositions with dynamic brushwork. This piece shows that he carefully considered the subjects of his larger works. While abstracted, there is a certain depth to the figure’s expression that I find intriguing. The term Nouvelle Figuration was dubbed by French art critic Michel Ragon who linked this style to political and social turmoil in Europe and America in the mid-20th century. Perhaps that’s why this style still resonates today!
