PERILLA, Francesco. Les îles de la Grèce, Athens, Editions Perilla, 1935.

Little is known about the life of Francesco Perilla except that he was Italian, born in 1874, and that he spent several years in Athens where, around 1930, he published his books, based on his paintings of various places in Greece (Mystras, the Cyclades, Chios, the Peloponnese, Pelion, Mount Athos, Athens, Attica, etc.). All his works are illustrated with images in numerous techniques, photographs, sketches, pastels, etc. Thanks to the spontaneity of his amateur snapshots, the innovative aesthetics and modernist notions of beauty, Perilla’s depictions of historical monuments are consistent with the artistic trends of the time.

The book is illustrated with wood engravings, water colours and photographs. In his prologue, the author writes on the surprises and sensations that the Cyclades islands reserve for the traveller. He adds that is is possible to relive one's memories if one travels accompanied by a camera, preferrably a Leika. After a brief historical note, he describes his journey to Syros, Tinos, Andros, Myconos, Delos, Kea, Kythnos, Naxos, Paros, Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinos, Ios, Amorgos and Santorini, over various chapters.

Perilla visited Tinos on August 15th, the day of the island's major feast (the Dormition of the Virgin). From there he sailed to Andros, Myconos and Delos. He reached Sifnos in January, and later on started on a second journey to the western Cyclades from Piraeus port. He visited the islands of Folegandros, Sikinos and Ios in a fishing boat, while he was staying on Paros. He arrived at Amorgos in April. His tour ended at Santorini, since, as he notes, a great storm did not allow the ship to set anchor at the remotest island of Anafi.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou