Voulgaris' Nyfes Tells Heartbreaking Story of Mail Order Brides

by Theodota K.
(2015)

Although the idea may seem ridiculous today, mail order brides were a reality for thousands of young women throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The brides were sent from their impoverished homes in Europe to marry strangers in America so that their families had less of a financial burden. Their stories are often untold, but one 2004 film did a fantastic job of illustrating their lives.

Award-winning Greek film director Pantelis Voulgaris’s  Nyfes is a poignant reflection of the struggles faced by young brides. Set in 1922, the film follows Niki Douka (played by Victoria Haralabidou), a seamstress from Samothrace who is sent to marry a man named Prodromos in Chicago. She travels to her mystery husband-to-be aboard the SS Alexander alongside 700 Greek, Russian, Turkish, and Armenian women.

Along the way, Douka meets and falls in love with American photographer Norman Harris (played by Damian Lewis) who is on his way home to a failed marriage. Although the love story is a bit overly tragic and hushed - forbidden love, in my opinion, is always a cliche - the acting is phenomenal. The actors are captivating on screen; from the first stolen glances we empathize with the characters who surely do not deserve the horrible fate they are facing.

The film has scenes in both Greek and English (with subtitles where needed), which makes the blending of cultures truly hit home. The couple struggles to understand each other, as we as an audience may struggle to understand the film itself.

Nyfes is also a resounding work from a historical perspective. The poverty and critical

conditions that the brides suffered through are stark with excellent scenery, props, and costumes. They help illustrate the apparent differences between the poor women and the first class passengers aboard the ship. I would recommend Nyfes to anyone curious about the often overlooked history of these unsung heroes

Contemporary Sculptures of Ancient Greek Mythological Monsters Adorn the Atrium of the Olympic Tower in Manhattan

By Mihalis A.

(2014)

            The ancient monsters of Greece, born from the minds of great poets, thinkers, and storytellers, have grown to become one of the most fearsome, yet awe inspiring figures in mythology. They reflect not only the difficulties in life but our own shortcomings. Monsters dwell within us and lash out occassionally when we are not our best. Yet, the inspiring nature of the creativity that went into developing such creatures is admirable and a wonder to behold. In The Greek Monsters a public art exhibition in the atrium of the Olympic Tower, home to the Onassis Foundation, one can see the overwhelming artistic aspect of many monsters of legend. The exhibit was desinged by Beetroot Design Group, an award winning communication design office and think tank based in Thessaloniki, Greece. For eleven years, the group has worked hard to achieve its creative mission “to discover, develep, and utilize the true essence of a brand, product or service and then grow and expand it to become recognized, appreciated, and praised all around the globe”. In 2011, the Beetroot Design Group was awarded the coveted Red Dot Communication Design Award.

            As soon as you enter the atrium,  you are surrounded by beasts, whether it be menacing birds hanging above your head or a massive Polyphemus statue, accompanied by several sheep, atop the revolving doors. It is very easy to notice the theme of the sculptures. The colors of reddish orange and black are used to give the creatures an ancient feel, like old Greek vases, yet the curvature, shape, and style of the works give it a modern look, bringing these monsters into the twenty-first century. Along the wall is a huge panorama of the many creatures that are also envisioned in sculpture. From end to end every creature is expressive and unique, each one being only more so than the last.  Notable figures include the Hydra, Scylla and Charybdis, Cerberus and Polyphemus.

            To one side there are several sculptures ranging in sizes from one foot tall, to three feet tall, to enormous eight foot tall structures, one of the largest being the minotaur. Interestingly enough, the minotaur is kneeling and seems to be hiding his face in shame. This aspect gave the monster a more human characteristic showing that although the Greek monsters were fearsome beasts, they too had emotions and could feel all the same. Along with the minotaur were sculptures of Scylla and Charybdis, the three fates holding one eye and a cane, a three-headed cerberus,  Medusa, and other creatures I did not even recognize. This gave testament to the vast amount of creatures in Greek mythology and the expansive nature of this alternate, literary, and religious universe.

To the other side was a huge circular genegram, or family tree if you will, that stemmed from the Earth, Love and Chaos, going out to the Sky, Titans, Gods and all the monsters featured in the exhibit. The size of the chart was honestly compelling. Just to think of the creativity needed to tell these stories and create so many creatures is almost unthinkable. Yet you can express your own creativity in the exhibit with the “create your own monster” part of the exhibit, where children are urged to create their own monsters out of many small magnetic bodyparts that are plastered on a wall. Going into the exhibit I had the chance to see the work of other young children, their creativity bringing a smile to my face. The children had made creatures with several arms and legs and one that looked like a serpent made entirely of eyes. It was good to see that the artistic flame that burned within the ancients still lingers today.

            All in all the exhibit was a delight and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is an excellent place to bring children as not only is it engaging, it is interactive. Mythology enthusiasts will be pleased by the extensive nature of the works while art lovers will be joyous to see the originality and style of the pieces. There is really nothing bad to say about The Greek Monsters by Beetroot. It is an artistic vision that I believe was fully achieved and I would not change it in any way whatsoever.

Renowned Museum Highlights the Widespread Influence of Byzantium

                                                                by Emmanuel K.

                                                                       (2009)

       On a recent visit to the Byzantine Art collection at the Met, I expected to view a display on the art of iconography. While the exhibition does include religious mosaics and medallions, it also encompasses secular objects and demonstrates the widespread influence of Byzantine culture in parts of Europe, Egypt, Syria, and even the Republics of Armenia, Georgia, and Kievan Rus’.

     The exhibit, named the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art features a superb collection of objects and images developed in the Early, Middle, and Late Byzantine Ages. It also includes examples of Judaica. Most impressive is the “crypt” gallery located under the Grand Staircase of the museum.

      There are many outstanding objects on display which attest to the deeply Christian and highly accomplished artistry and wealth of the Byzantines: intricately carved ivory icons meant for personal devotion; an exquisite box reliquary that contained fragments of the True Cross which was discovered by St. Helen; silver and liturgical vessels such as chalices and censers from Northern Syria; and jewelry and ceramics from the Middle and Late Byzantine eras.

     The exceptional “cryptlike” space under the museum’s Grand Staircase is made of brick arches and sloping walls and it includes a display of religious and secular objects from Egypt, one of the wealthiest provinces of Byzantium. The light level is deliberately dimmed to protect objects such as textiles which are susceptible to damage from bright light.

     The textiles from Egypt which were used to decorate homes and official buildings are very delicate and beautiful. According to the museum, these richly patterned fabrics were also meant to ward off evil. The jewelry found near Lycopolis (now Assiut) “represents a standard of luxury that was common among the Egyptian elite. It also demonstrates the close connection between this wealthy province and Constantinople.”

     A section of the crypt gallery also includes a series of manuscripts and pottery from the Monastery of Epiphanius – an early Christian center of monastic life. St. Anthony the Great, one of the most famous Saints of Egypt, was one of the first monks to live as a hermit in the desert in search of religious enlightenment. Classical themes and Christian images are found on the objects in this region, e.g. the fragmentary pottery with fish and rosettes made in terracotta in 500 A.D.

     Thanks to the generosity of the Jaharis family, the Byzantine Art Collection is the shining jewel of the Met. This dramatically opened and redesigned space is a wonderful addition to this museum. A visit to this gallery is an enlightening experience for people of all ages.

Greco-Roman Artifacts Shine on NY's Museum Mile

                                                                 By Catherine T.

                                                                       (2014)

Found on the Museum Mile on the East Side of Manhattan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has an extensive collection of all things beautiful. It holds a little over seventeen thousand Greek and Roman artifacts tucked away in a corner of the museum. Appreciating these works is very easy, as there are no clumsily placed statues or friezes, and symmetry is appreciated as much as natural lighting. While the parts most remembered are probably easy to spot –The White Court filled with a collection of Roman statues, a running fountain in the center and a massive Ionic column - some hidden treasures are too often overlooked.

Soft lighting and quiet chatter brings us to the Stavros and Danae Costopoulos Gallery, a small room among many others in a row along the right side of the hallway that greets an entering visitor. Though smaller in size than some other rooms, there is no lack of history or integrity found there. The gallery presents early fourth to the late fifth century artifacts ranging from delicate pottery to meticulously carved marble statues and jewelry. Most artifacts on display are made of terracotta, the typical media used in ancient Greek pottery with the exception of one bronze hydria described as a water jar. The eye is immediately drawn to the artifact, poised in the center of the room behind a glass case and hovering over smaller jars and plates that lie with it. While the jug is worn and mostly covered with an oxidized green layer, the beautifully curved handles and spout remain. Other jugs in an adjacent case show the ancient Greek love of color, preserved in what seems to be a lacquered surface of several jugs and cups. They are painted by hand with streams of yellows and bright blues.

In the same room there are several marble statues, one being the head and torso of the goddess Athena, patron of Athens. Several parts of her body have been broken off, her arms and nose for example. However the tradition of honoring the gods is evident in the time and care that went into creating the gentle curves of Athena’s dress. This style had made its way from the fifth century B.C.E.

Across the hall in the Carolyn, Kate, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Jonathan Wiener Gallery, there are even more artifacts that sit carefully on their perches. Like the Costopoulos Gallery, this one is also small, and also holds a marble statue of a lion. Lions represented protection and safety, and this particular lion statue-like so many others- was used as a tomb monument to stand guard. Though the important idea of safety could have been a priority in the carving of a lion, the aesthetic is not compromised, as shown in every muscle’s curve and careful toe indentation. There were few people who passed this lion, among other marble statues, and did not stop in place to examine the workmanship of this masterpiece.

The brilliance of most of the items in the exhibit are so closely analyzed and appreciated because the skill and patience required to make a full sized bronze water jug or a life sized marble lion are not seen in today’s world to such a caliber. Every piece in the Greco-Roman art gallery was made, preserved, found and presented in the same way, and though a huge impressive column could seem worth more of one’s time, a small painted cup could hold just as much beauty.

Ancient Greek Literary Figure is Beautifully Portrayed in Modern Cinema

                                                               By Nikolas M.

                                                                     (2014)

       Legendary works are rarely given the justice they deserve by modern cinema, but Sophocles’ timeless play Antigone was wonderfully reproduced in the 1961 Greek film version directed by George Tzavellas. Irene Pappas, Greece’s famous stage and film actress stars as the titular character, and from the opening scene one can tell that she is the engine that runs the entire film. In the original play, Antigone is a wonderfully written character that could have easily been lifted straight from the page and placed onto the screen. But Pappas brings the character of Antigone to a new level: she is strong and confident, and beautifully tragic.

        Pappas’ first appearance in the film shows her as an indignant sister, furious that King Creon would not bury her brother. She asks her sister Ismene for help but Ismene refuses, stating that she would not dare to defy the king. Antigone’s plea for help quickly becomes a roar of fury as she tells her sister that even if she begged her to help she would not let her. From start to finish, Pappas holds the attention of the audience. Also exceptional is Manos Katrakis who plays the film’s antagonist, King Creon. In his opening scene, he addresses the people of Thebes, and using his natural charisma, commands the attention of both the crowd and the film audience.

      Though the climax of the film comes closer to the end, the most electrifying clash of personalities happens much earlier, when King Creon confronts Antigone about her burying her brother whom he declared a traitor. Speaking in a commanding voice, Creon wins the support of Theban elders as Antigone’s defiance becomes stronger. In the exchange between Creon and Antigone we see the absolute best of Pappas and Katrakis as performers. The dialogue evolves from defiant, to witty, to emotional, and shows Antigone as the immovable object to Creon’s unstoppable force.

      Along with the actors’ masterful performances, the film itself is visually stunning. Made in an era where paint and backdrops were used instead of CGI and green screen, the set transports you straight to ancient Greece.  Antigone as a play is one of the cornerstones of Greek theatre and should be remembered as such for all time. The film, however, should be remembered as a masterpiece of Greek cinema.