{"product_id":"achilleas-droungas-1940-2015-city-under-siege-ii-original-signed-etching-1973","title":"Achilleas Droungas (1940–2015) | City Under Siege II | Original Signed Etching | 1973","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eCity Under Siege II\u003c\/em\u003e  was created during the final year of Achilleas Droungas' studies at the Slade School of Fine Art in London in 1973, by that pint he  had already established himself as an accomplished printmaker, exhibiting internationally.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is printed from an unusually shaped plate that extends beyond the conventional rectangular format, allowing the composition to break the boundary of the image. A subtle but telling indication of Droungas' concern for composition and spatial design.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiography \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAchilleas Droungas was one of the most distinctive figures in post-war Greek art, celebrated for paintings and prints that combine extraordinary technical precision with a quietly psychological sense of space. Rather than depicting dramatic events, he transformed ordinary objects, architecture and empty interiors into carefully constructed compositions that invite prolonged looking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Piraeus in 1940, Droungas studied at the \u003cstrong\u003eAthens School of Fine Arts\u003c\/strong\u003e between 1959 and 1964 under the renowned printmaker \u003cstrong\u003eKostas Grammatopoulos\u003c\/strong\u003e, developing the exceptional draughtsmanship and compositional discipline that became the foundation of his career. In 1970 he was awarded a scholarship to London's prestigious \u003cstrong\u003eSlade School of Fine Art\u003c\/strong\u003e, where he studied printmaking under \u003cstrong\u003eAnthony Gross\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBartolomeu dos Santos\u003c\/strong\u003e, two of the most influential printmakers of the twentieth century. This period proved pivotal, refining both his technical ability and the distinctive visual language for which he would later become known.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore achieving widespread recognition as a painter, Droungas established an international reputation as a printmaker. He represented Greece in major international print exhibitions including the \u003cstrong\u003eAlexandria Biennale\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003eLjubljana Biennale\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eXYLON Geneva\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003eInternational Woodcut Exhibition in Milan\u003c\/strong\u003e, and print biennales in \u003cstrong\u003eNorway\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKraków\u003c\/strong\u003e. His work was recognised not only for its technical excellence but for its ability to create atmosphere through structure, restraint and carefully orchestrated space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough often described as a realist, Droungas was never interested in realism for its own sake. His paintings are meticulously constructed rather than simply observed. Architecture, classical fragments and everyday objects become the protagonists, arranged with almost theatrical precision to create works that feel at once familiar and quietly enigmatic. Critics have frequently placed his work somewhere between realism, surrealism and magic realism, yet it ultimately defies easy categorisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis print dates from \u003cstrong\u003e1973\u003c\/strong\u003e, the final year of Droungas' studies at the Slade School of Fine Art and the period immediately before his return to Greece and his first major solo exhibition at \u003cstrong\u003eZoumboulakis Gallery\u003c\/strong\u003e in Athens. It captures a formative moment in his career, when the technical brilliance of his printmaking was already fully established and the visual language of his celebrated paintings was beginning to emerge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Droungas' paintings are held in the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Gallery of Greece\u003c\/strong\u003e and major public and private collections, with his mature oils commanding increasingly strong prices as appreciation for his work continues to grow. His prints remain an accessible way to acquire the work of an artist widely regarded as one of the most important figures in modern Greek art.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"viki.knott","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57252908630396,"sku":null,"price":580.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0505\/7295\/1736\/files\/03D58540-16C3-4EA2-AE7F-F8E467CFEAD3.jpg?v=1785948743","url":"https:\/\/www.vikiknott.com\/products\/achilleas-droungas-1940-2015-city-under-siege-ii-original-signed-etching-1973","provider":"viki.knott","version":"1.0","type":"link"}