Théodore Ralli | |
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 Théodore Ralli in his Paris studio | |
| Born | Theodoros Rallis-Scaramanga (1852-02-16)16 February 1852 |
| Died | 2 October 1909(1909-10-02) (aged 57) |
| Resting place | First Cemetery of Athens |
| Education | Jean-Léon Gérôme |
| Known for | Painter and draughtsman |
| Movement | Orientalist Impressionist |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Mavrokordatos Maria Mavromichalis |
| Children | Katerina Rallis |
| Parents |
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| Family | Rallis Mavrokordatos Mavromichalis |
Théodore Jacques Ralli orTheodorus Rallis (full name:Theodoros Rallis-Scaramanga;Greek:Θεόδωρος Ράλλης;Constantinople, 16 February 1852 – 2 October 1909,Lausanne) was a Greek painter, watercolourist and draughtsman, who spent most of his working life in France, Greece and Egypt. Ralli was an Academic, Orientalist and Impressionist painter.[1][2] He paintedgenre works, portraits, local figures, architectural subjects, interiors with figures and animals. Ralli is known for hisorientalist paintings and paintings of Greek everyday life. Ralli was from a wealthy Greek family known as theRalli family. They were one of the wealthiest and most successful Greek merchant families of the 19th century, and the Ralli company was operated primarily by the extended family. They had operations spanning the entire world.[1][3][4] Maria Katsanaki’s 2007 dissertation features a catalog of over 400 paintings attributed to Ralli.[5] Most of his works are in private collections.[6] Rallis was a student ofJean-Léon Gérôme andJean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouy, both painters were orientalist, and Gérôme also painted in the style known asacademicism. Ralli was considered one of Gérôme's best students.[7] His workThe Booty drew inspiration from Gérôme'sThe Slave Market.[8]
Ralli was born in Constantinople, which is now known as Istanbul, to a Greek family originally fromChios on his father Iakovos' side; his mother Katina was from the Greek islandSyros. From a young age, he was interested in painting, but due to his family's opposition to a professional painting career, he went to work for the Ralli family business in London until his father's death in 1871. He travelled to Paris as early as 1873 and learned painting, showing an interest in academicism and oriental art, although some of his works revealImpressionism. In 1875, his works were accepted and exhibited by the prestigiousParis Salon. The young painter also became a member of theSociété des Artistes Français and maintained a studio in Paris for the remainder of his life. After 1879, Rallis travelled to London and exhibited his works at theRoyal Academy in London and continued an affiliation with the institution throughout his life.
In August of 1885, the painter travelled to the Monastic Community ofMount Athos to draw inspiration from Byzantine art, staying for fifteen days. He visited fewer than eleven monasteries, some included:Vatopedi,Esphigmenou,Zographou, andDohiariou.[9] Ralli kept a studio inCairo,Egypt, where he spent his winters from 1891 to 1904, giving private drawing lessons to the aristocracy. He also maintained a close friendship with the Greek-Alexandrian poetConstantine P. Cavafy.[7] In 1900, Rallis was awarded the decoration of the Knight of theLegion of Honour by France. Rallis died in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1909 but was buried in Athens, Greece, at theFirst Cemetery of Athens. The most valuable painting of Rallis' calledThe Captive (Turkish Plunder) sold at a record price of £737,300 or $1,517,767 in 2007.[10]
Theodoros Rallis was born to Iakovos and Katina or Aikaterini inConstantinople on 16 February 1852. His grandfather, Theodore Rallis (1790–1871), was fromChios,Greece. After theChios massacre, his grandfather Theodore migrated to Corfu along with other prominent family members, a place where theHeptanese school of painting flourished from 1600–1900. The children, Iakovos and his siblings, Ralli's father, aunts, and uncles, were all born in Corfu, Greece. Ralli had four younger siblings: three were Spiro, Manoli, and Argyri; they were all born in Constantinople, now known asIstanbul, where the family conducted business and maintained a second residence.[11]Constantinople was whereGreek Byzantine painting began and flourished, and was an iconic historical place for frescos, icons, and mosaics. Ralli's mother, Katina Psiachi, was from the Greek island ofSyros. She died in Paris four years after the death of her son. Ralli was married twice. His first wife was Julia Mavrokordatos.Her grandfather was Eustratios Stephanos Ralli (1800–1884), one of theRalli Brothers. Ralli and Julia married on July 16, 1881. Regrettably, she died seven years later on May 15, 1888. Julia was born inLondon,England, and they had one child named Katerina Rallis (1882–1948), who migrated to New York City. Ralli's second wife was Maria Mavromichalis (1873–1938). They were married in 1895 but eventually divorced.[12]
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Ralli spent his early life in Constantinople, where he studied at the Commercial School of Chalki but expressed an interest in painting from an early age, devoting his free time to drawing. He eventually traveled to England, where he began his training to work at the family-owned commercial house Rallis & Mavroyiannis. Ralli lived in Manchester, England.
Here, he also studied at the local college. After his father, Iakovos, died in 1871 in Corfu, Greece. Ralli traveled to Paris to study painting. Regrettably, his father opposed his desire to be a professional painter. Ralli became an apprentice to French painter and professorJean-Léon Gérôme as early as January 15, 1873, where he enrolled in his studio at theÉcole des Beaux-Arts.[11]
He also studied underJean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouy, both were known for their orientalist paintings. One of Ralli's earliest works wasMaid Watering Flowers, painted in 1876, showcasing his knowledge of genre painting, which also features theimpression of a woman sweeping. During this period in Paris, Impressionism was becoming popular due to theFirst Impressionist Exhibition in 1874.
Ralli then travelled widely in North Africa and the Middle East, settling for a while inCairo, Egypt. Here, he found his inspiration for the romantic mysticism and suggestive sensuality of his many orientalist paintings. His othergenre paintings were often nostalgic recollections of the life and customs of his Greek homeland, which he portrayed with a delicate and moving reverence. His paintings were elaborated with great attention to detail, with great attention to costumes and facial expressions. The varying light sources in his paintings, such as rays of light, candles, or the glowing embers in the fireplace, are rendered in soft colours.
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Rallis' first exhibition was at theSalon of 1875. From 1879, he regularly exhibited at theRoyal Academy in London. He was a member of theSociété des Artistes Français, where he received an honourable mention in 1885, and a silver medal in 1889 for his whole work He exhibited his paintings in the Salon de Rouen (1897, 1903, 1906 and 1909) and also in Athens during theOlympic Games of 1896. He also served as a member of the competition jury in 1900 at theExposition Universelle. In 1901 he became achevalier of theLégion d’Honneur.[1]
After his death, he was slowly almost forgotten. It is telling that his name is not even included in theGroveDictionary of Art. Most of his paintings are still in private collections, and only a few museums have ever purchased his works. A few of his paintings were auctioned in the 20th century, but they only obtained modest prices. However, in the 21st century, his paintings have been rediscovered and are being auctioned at prices that are tenfold of some years before, fetching prices from 30,000 to 100,000 euros. On 14 November 2007 a study for the paintingRefectory in a Greek Monastery (Mount Athos) (1885) was auctioned at 200,000 euros atSotheby's in London, and in January 2008, the painting itself was sold at the absolute record price of 670,000 euros to a Greek collector at an auction inGhent, Belgium.[13] This was followed by the sale of his oil on canvas, titledPraying Before the Communion at Megara (1890), byBonhams in London on 25 May 2008, achieving a staggering hammer price of £600,000.[14]
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Rallis completed a wide assortment of Orientalist works and paintings of Greek everyday life. During his lifetime, a huge movement in Paris, France, known asImpressionism erupted starting in 1860. Rallis was in Paris from 1873 studying painting withJean-Léon Gérôme. One year later, the revolutionary painterClaude Monet exhibited theImpressionist Sunrise in April 1874. Throughout his life, Rallis painted an immeasurable amount of impressionist paintings. Some of his works were impressionist hybrids where some, not all of the painting was Impressionist. In these works, the painter employed part of the brush work common in Impressionist works. In theYoung Ottoman Woman
by Rallis the beautiful young woman wears a yashmak. The painting style of her face strictly adheres to traditional academic painting featuring a smooth refined surface where the brush work is invisible and creates a smooth glass like finish known asfini meaning finished followingidealism. The background and her garment feature visible brush strokes common to impressionist paintings.
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The painter had thorough knowledge of a method known asimpasto. The paint was applied thickly prioritizing the texture of the paint creating an impressionist hybrid work common to the period.The Shepherdess is another work that features visible brush strokes in the landscape and parts of the females garment but also exhibits a smooth glass like finish on her face and anatomy. The paintingsVenezia,A Young Girl in Traditional Greek Dress andOn Shipboard are purely impressionist featuring visible brushstrokes creating a sense of motion and urgency.
Ralli donated 15,000 francs to theSociété des Artistes Français in 1909 after his death, and the interest was to be used as an annual prize.[15] The prize was 420 francs in 1911.[16] Today, there is still an endowment named after Théodore Ralli entitledPrix Théodore Ralli given by the Société des Artistes Français for about €150. The winner of the award in 2024 was Aleksandra Istorik.[17]
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The death in Paris is announced of Théodore Jacques Ralli, a naturalized Frenchman, the son of Greek parents. He was born at Constantinople, and studied under Géröme and at the École des Beaux-Arts. He first exhibited at the Salon in 1875. He was a member of the Société des Artistes Français. He devoted himself largely to Oriental scenes, and one of his two pictures in this year's Salon was entitledCircassienne au Bain. He was for some years—1879 to 1883-an exhibitor at the Royal Academy.
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