Page 131 - Beholding Liberty!

Of the original drawings, in pencil
and ink on paper, 17 are preserved, in
the Museum of the City of Munich, out
of which 14 are complete compositions,
while three are studies.
Schwanthaler himself never travelled
to Greece. His designs were faithfully transferred –apart from a few deviations– onto the wall-paintings by a group
of Bavarian artists, specialized in the technique of fresco, considerably later, probably around 1842-43, namely during the final phase of the erection of the palace in Athens, for young king Otto. We know
the names of the artists who executed
the wall-paintings in Athens, while
the signatures of some among them feature in certain scenes: Claudius von Schraudolph, Ulrich Halbreiter, Joseph Kranzberger, Thomas Guggenberger, Franz Joseph
Wurm, Joseph Scherer.
The ensemble of the frieze constitutes
a characteristic specimen of painting
in monumental scale, in classicising style
mixed with romantic elements.
As a group, it is governed by homogeneity
in visual concept and a sense of rhythm
in the succession of scenes.
Schwanthaler divides artfully the painted surface in panels by floral and architectural features, more precisely by doric columns and palm trees, which are interspersed between the episodes. The overall iconographic programme, by respecting
the chronological sequence of events,
secures a uniform perception of the Frieze
of the Revolution, while at the same time allows autonomous viewing of specific scenes or symbolic figures.
There are depicted military events and political-diplomatic developments that determined the Struggle for Independence, from its declaration up to the arrival
of Otto (1821-1833), while allegorical compositions are also inserted
in between.
The Frieze of the Revolution
Η ΑΦΥΠΝΙΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Από την αρχαιολατρία στον Φιλελληνισμό 131