"Brechneff paints a portrait as vivid and captivating as anything he ever committed to canvas." - Book List Review of Books

"Evocative . . . [Brechneff's] candor is winning, and hard to resist, as
we follow his growth from naïve young man to worldly, accomplished
adult....happily the author seldom strays far from his beloved island
refuge, even when its enduring entreaty begins to wane." - Kirkus Review of Books

The Cooley Gallery is very proud to present an exhibition of original works by Christian Brechneff inspired by the Greek Island of Sifnos in conjunction with the celebration of the Connecticut launch of his new book The Greek House. In his book Brechneff tells a funny, touching narrative about his relationship to Sifnos, writing with warmth about its unforgettable residents and the house he bought in a hilltop farm village. This is the story of how he fell in love with Sifnos, and how it became a haven from the complexities of his life in Western Europe and New York. It is the story of his village and of the island during the thirty-odd years he owned the house – from a time when there were barely any roads, to the arrival of the modern world with its tourists and high-speed boats and the euro. And it is the story of the end of the love affair – how the island changed and he changed, how he discovered he had outgrown Sifnos, or couldn’t grow there anymore. Brechneff's first book, Homage: Encounters with the East, a book of travel drawings was published in 2007.

Born in the Belgian Congo, Christian was educated in Switzerland and the United States. In 1975 he received his Masters of Arts degree from the Royal College of Art in London. Since then he has exhibited his art in Switzerland, Spain, England, Germany, Sri Lanka and the United States, and his paintings appear in public and private collections all over the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  It's been over twenty years since Christian's last solo exhibition at The Cooley Gallery.  
 
His art will be on display at 25 Lyme Street in Old Lyme and further illustrates his changes as a man as well as an artist. Join Christian Brechneff and Tim Lovejoy on June 14th for a book signing of the new book The Greek House and a retrospective exhibition of Christian's art through July 13th.
 

Founded in 1981 and located in the heart of historic Old Lyme, the Cooley Gallery specializes in fine American paintings from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and select contemporary artists. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Please call (860) 434-8807 or visit www.cooleygallery.com for additional information. The Cooley Gallery is located at 25 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371.