(Salamis 1848–1913 Athens)
The Spinner, signed in greek letters P. Lembesis Salamis, dated 1892, oil on canvas, 49 x 59 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection, Italy.

The Greek artist Polychronis Lembesis first studied at the Athens School of Fine Art under Nikiforos Lytras, before receiving a scholarship to study at the Munich Academy under Wilhelm Lindenschmit and Ludwig von Löfftz.
The Munich School is the name given to a group of painters who were trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich between 1850 and 1918. Attracting students from across Europe, many Greek artists were also trained there, such as renowned painter Nikolaos Gysis - a major representative of the Munich school, whom Lembesis befriended.
Lembesis stayed in Munich until 1879 and returned to Athens, where he opened an atelier in the Thission neighborhood in 1880. He painted portraits of aristocrats and politicians. In addition, he taught the children of his rich clients, such as Stephanos Dragoumis, who later became prime minister of Greece. The Dragoumis family supported him for most of his life.

In the present work, Polychronis Lembesis depicts a serene and luminous genre scene, an intimate insight into everyday Greek life.