“TO KALON” (Greek: the beautiful)

In one of his latest paintings, “TO KALON”, TR portrayed his friend, Pietros Maneos, an extraordinary young poet whose verses, reverberating the classical lyricism and ideals, express the aesthetics germane to his own artwork. “The guardian of the ever alive beauty”, Mr. Maneos is the author of “The Soul of a Young Man” published by S. Perocchi. He has recently narrated Tomasz Rut’s video documentary.

TO KALON, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 50"

Here is what Pietros had to say about TR’s “TO KALON” in his ekphrastic poem:

Ode on Tomasz Rut’s ΤΟ.ΚΑΛΟΝ

A Renaissance of The Beautiful sprung from the dextrous, deft hand of Tomasz Rut: a Modern Michelangelo the veritable son of Caravaggio; whose refined sensibility is worthy of Apollo, the father of Beauty.

Though he is descended from the heroic Hussars, his Soul is fully Italian, fully Grecian. For he is a disciple of The Beautiful in a world that is often hostile to this everlasting, ever-beautiful ideal.

He is an apostle of The Aesthetic Painting the celestial dreams of the human Soul. Every work a gospel inscribed with the breath of divinity – Rich in Romantic Poetry Classic Imagery and long-forgotten Mythology.

His brush-strokes sing the very songs of beautiful-songed Arcady. Expressing the Passion, the Emotion, and the suffering of Pompeii: Hopeful, yet tinged with a hint of invariable decay, but always avoiding the Modern cliché of abject, abysmal Despair.

And so as I begin the steady procession of Aging, My hair receding, becoming threadbare and comically thin. My skin surely sagging, even wrinkling. My once youthful muscles redolent of an ancient Olympian, a champion of wrestling, boxing or even of Pankration, gradually softening – possessing only the strength of a flowery maiden I still will be able to say: ‘In my youth, I too was strong and beautiful The progeny of Herakles and Alcibiades The very essence of ΤΟ.ΚΑΛΟΝ For I was once painted by the Immortal Master, Tomasz Rut, son of Tadeusz, the celebrated Olympian, And heir to the great Apelles.’