inscribed in Greek (upper part)
natural pigments on wooden door
174.5 x 72.5 cm.
FOOTNOTES
- Enchanted by Greece’s military triumphs during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and combining instinctive knowledge with a keen sense of history, Theofilos pays homage to the main protagonists of this Modern Greek epic, namely King Constantine I, presented on horseback in full regalia and described right above as “the pride of the Greek soul”, and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, “the beloved politician of the Greeks”, whose portrait is set in a laurel wreath on the upper left corner of the panel.
As Crown Prince and Inspector-General of the Army, Constantine commanded the Greek forces in the liberation of Thessaloniki and Ioannina during the first Balkan War (1912-1913). When he ascended to the throne following the assassination of his father King George I in 1913, his military prestige stood high and the country regarded him with pride and affection as the man who had realised some of their most cherished dreams. The new King, whom many wished to call Constantine XII, thereby regarding him as the successor of the last Byzantine Emperor, mounted the throne with his military laurels fresh upon him. His triumphs in the field of battle and the fact that he was the first sovereign of modern Greece born in the country, invested him with an immense popularity, while the tragic circumstances of his father’s death won for him sympathy everywhere.1 As noted by A.S. Gould Lee, “it can be understood why his reception in Athens, when he returned in the dual role of conqueror and newly ascended king, was one of the most exuberant the Greeks had extended to their monarchs.”2
In the aftermath of the wars, Greeks possessed in Constantine a King whom they revered and trusted and in Eleftherios Venizelos a Premier of acknowledged skill and statesmanship. Under the inspiring leadership of Venizelos, Greece’s gains had been spectacular, with its land area having increased by almost 70 percent. This was one of the happiest moments in Modern Greek history and Venizelos, as the prime architect of these spectacular victories, was at the peak of his popularity. As argued by historian R. Clogg, “it seemed that if the Greeks could only remain united, then their most cherished irredentist ambitions lay within their grasp. The widely believed prophecy that the Greeks would recapture Constantinople when a Constantine once again sat on the throne of Hellas, no longer seemed all that far-fetched”3—a prospect that certainly intrigued Theofilos, who back in the late 1890s had left Smyrna for Athens to voluntarily enlist to fight in the 1897 conflict against Turkey and did indeed take part in the battles of Velestino and Domokos, probably wearing his famed fustanella kilt.
Here, his brilliant palette, bold organisation of space and free handling of facial characteristics clearly demonstrate that he worked his subject to comply with his artistic temperament and creative zeal, while a loving depiction of an idyllic boating scene occupying the lower part of the picture, reflects a particularly happy period in Theofilos’ art and life.
1. See W. Miller, A History of the Greek People (1821-1921), Methuen & Co. editions, London 1922, pp. 141-142.
2. A.S. Gould Lee, The Royal House of Greece, Ward Lock & Co. editions, London and Melbourne, 1948, pp. 35-37.
3. R. Clogg, A Short History of Modern Greece, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1979, pp. 104-105.Please note that due to Greek regulation, this lot cannot be exported from Greece and will be available for viewing and inspection in Athens either by appointment or during the Athens Preview, 17-19 April 2018. This work will be located in Athens during the auction.