George Pol. Georghiou

Born in Famagusta. Nephew of Loukas Georghiou, son of Polyvios Georghiou . Painter, and writer. Following the death of his father,at 18, he was sent to London to study law and take on family business responsibilities, but over the next 13 years he spent much of his time looking at paintings.He was witty and sociable and so met and conversed the with some of the best painters in England and Paris of the 1920s and 30s., many of whom became his friends. It was one of these, John Piper, who had also studied law, who sent a large parcel of water colour paper to Cyprus and said "time to paint George". He finally completed his legal studies at the Middle Temple, London, to become a Barrister-at-Law. and returned Cyprus in 1933. Initially he worked in his father's office , now the offices of Orphanides and Murat (1936). His European colleagues and friends had no experience of Cypriot culture and through his art he wanted to convey this to them in the language of Western Art. . Throughout WWII, only George was permitted to draw and paint from the vantage point of the Venetian walls, all the military and naval activities of ships and troops in Famagusta harbour. Two people who most helped his development as a painter and with whom he developed a strong friendship were Professor John Beazley and his wife, and Willie Peploe and his wife Clothild. Beazley lecturered in Ancient Greek History at Oxford and was well known in Greek circles. When George presented his works to the British Council in Nicosia, Beazley arranged for the works to be shown at the Blackhall Gallery in Oxford. Clothild and Will Peploe, were owners of "Le Fevre" gallery in London, where together with John Winter he presented his first major exhibition (1951). There,he was a success, selling many paintings and was introduced to Maureen Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, amongst others, who acquired a painting and stayed in close touch with him. He went on to exhibit his works in European cities and in America. His last exhibition was in 1963 in Nicosia, after which he became ill and did not paint again. He passed his last years in his sisters flat in Famagusta where he died in August 1972. HIs work can be found in many museums and private collections world wide.

Biographical Lexicon of Cypriots 1800-1920