This lot is subject to Artist's Resale right
Michael KASHALOS
The Lifting of the Stone and the Swings - “Η Διτζιμή τζιαι οι Σούσες”
signed lower center
66 x 112.5 cm
68 x 114.5 cm (with frame)
Provenance
collection of the late Michael Ierodiaconou (1926 – 2009), Cyprus
Estimate
Notes
Easter Tuesday in Cyprus — H Triti tis Lambri
Few artists have conveyed the spirit of rural Cyprus with the warmth and sincerity of Michael Kashalos. In The Lifting of the Stone and the Swings, he captures one of the island’s most joyful traditions: the celebrations of Triti tis Lambri, Easter Tuesday, when the quiet reverence of Lent gives way to laughter, colour, and renewal.
The Ditzimí — The Lifting of the Stone — is a test of strength and pride among the young men, each striving to raise the heavy stone higher than his peers to become the “hero of the village.” Around them, the air is filled with the cheerful songs and laughter of the Souses, the swings, where girls in bright dresses soar beneath the olive trees.
With his instinctive sense of rhythm and harmony, Kashalos turns this simple village ritual into a vivid celebration of life and community — an ode to the continuity of Cypriot tradition, where pagan echoes of fertility and vitality blend seamlessly with Christian festivity. His naïve yet lyrical brushwork preserves not just a moment, but an entire way of being.
MICHAEL IERODIACONOU (1926–2009)
Born in the Karpas village of Koma tou Yialou, Michael Ierodiaconou was a distinguished educator and devoted humanist. A graduate of The English School and Nottingham University, he taught Mathematics at The English School, where he later became housemaster and deputy headmaster.
A man of deep moral conviction, he believed in peaceful coexistence among all Cypriot communities. An avid photographer, he documented with affection the daily life and customs of his native village, offering an invaluable record of Koma tou Yialou before 1974.
As a collector, Ierodiaconou was drawn to Cypriot painters of the 1970s and 1980s — artists who, like Kashalos, celebrated the island’s landscapes, people, and enduring traditions. His collection reflects his love for Cyprus and his belief in the power of art to preserve memory.