At the Athens School of Fine Art, Effie  was a life model that had seen generations of art students go through the school.

She was in her late 70’s when I was a student there. Effie was synonymous with the art school and a strong ally of the students. A comment from her during the break carried similar weight as a comment from your teacher. This was an oil study I did of her during an afternoon exercise.

She had endless stories to tell about pivotal times in the school’s history as well as famous, highly regarded teachers and artists. Instead, one day a senior student  told me a story about her:

One afternoon Ilias (the other equally highly regarded and long term model at the school) said something to Effie while they were both nude, motionless, posing for students in a still life arrangement. Whatever he happened to say,  upset her so much that she chased him off the stage, through the school grounds and out onto Patision Street (one of the most central streets in Athens).

The assistant lecturers and professors frantically went after them, carrying their robes and desperately trying to reach them. They has both run out in peak hour stark naked. One irate, the other desperate to save himself. The animated description had me imagining the closing scene out of a Benny Hill episode (I recommend you google it if you are not familiar with Benny Hill’s trademark chases).

Both Ilias and Effie had incredible humour and were unique human beings and much loved.