"Motra Tone", the iconic work of polyhedral artist Kolë Idromenos, is being transformed into a mural in the city of Shkodra. Mayor Benet Beci shared on social networks images from the creation of the mural.
"One of the most special works of Kola Idromenos is reflected in a mural by our artists at the entrance of Shkodra", said the mayor of Shkodra.
"Sister Tone" (75 by 60 centimeters) was created by the painter Kolë Idromeno in 1883. This portrait was created by the painter Idromeno at the age of 23 and is the first realistic work in Albanian visual arts. According to the critic, the way of standing, the masterly realization of every detail, the calm light that permeates the entire figure in general and the portrait in particular speak of the high craftsmanship of Idromenos.
The portrait "Sister Tone" was not exhibited while the painter was alive. "It is well known that this portrait was not painted on the basis of fantasy, but on the basis of the living model in front. The painter's sister, Tone Shkanjeti (Idromeno), a year older than her brother, posed for the creation of the work. The portrait that became famous was initially called 'Portrait of the woman from Shkodran' and later, when the work arrived at the National Gallery, after 1954, it was named 'Sister Tone'", the description of the work reads.
From the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Idromeno's paintings appeared in various international exhibitions such as in Budapest, Rome, Bari, New York and other places. Idromeno's last painting is "The Old Man of Postrriba" (1939), where he expresses the difficult economic situation of the Albanian countryside. Other areas where Idromemo stands out are sculpture and architecture - with about 60 private and public buildings in Shkodër designed by him.
On December 12, 1939, Nikola "Col" Idromeno passed away. He was born on August 15, 1860 in Shkoder. He was an artist; painter, architect, urban planner, photographer, scenographer, musician, composer of popular songs, the first operator of documentary films in Albania, since 1912. It is said that his family was one of the most popular in Parga in Çamëri. His father, Arsen Idromeno, had come to Shkodër from the island of Hidro, inhabited by the Arbëresh people of Greece. Kola started painting when he was a child. He took drawing lessons while staying with the city's renowned photographer, Pietro Marubi, who helped Cola pursue painting studies in Venice. But, unaccustomed to the discipline at school, after 6 months, Kola leaves the lessons after he starts working with local painters and artists. When he returned to Shkodër, in 1871, he made his first paintings, one of which was "12 warriors of Parga in a boat" commemorating the departure of his ancestors from Parga to Himara.
