Page 180 - Beholding Liberty!

Antonios Oikonomou (1785-1821), a middle-class captain from Hydra, initiated into the Filiki Etaireia, recruited fighters on his island to help the Struggle in the Peloponnese.
In Peter von Hess’s image, he is shown on the night of March 28, 1821, when, having the church bells ring to summon Filiki Etaireia members to the central market, he called them to arms.
The Revolution was therefore de facto proclaimed on the island of Hydra, despite the reservations of the elders. By April 16, under Oikonomos’ leadership, the Hydra fleet was ready for war.
Unfortunately, he was assassinated by Andreas Londos’ men on December 16, 1821.
180 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
IΙ.1.18
Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess (1792-1871)
Antonios Oikonomou proclaims liberty on Hydra
lithograph, 62 x 45 cm
signed: P Herwegen inv. et sculpsit (under decorative border, centre) // Gemalt v. Peter Hess (bottom left) / Lithogr. v. H. Kohler. (bottom right) // Eigenthum u. Verlag v. Meÿ u. Widmaÿer, München. (low centre)
inscribed (captions): Ο Οικονόμος κηρύττει / εν Ύδρᾳ τήν ελευθερίαν. (top) // A. Oeconomos / proclaiming liberty on Hydra. (left) // A. Oeconomos / proclamant la liberté à Hyrda. (right) // A. Oeconomos erklärt die /
Freiheit aûf Hydra. (bottom)
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 306