Page 219 - Beholding Liberty!

HALL OF THE TROPHIES
ΙΙ.3.7
Benedetto Civiletti (1846-1899)
Konstantinos Kanaris with Ioannis Theofilopoulos on their fire-ship (brûlot), ca. 1875-78
bronze statuette, 27 × 20 × 27 cm
signed: B. CIVILETTI (bottom, back narrow side) επιγραφή: CANARES (bottom, front narrow side) Michael and Demetra Varkarakis Collection
THE GROUP COMPRISES the captain Konstantinos Kanaris and his helmsman, Ioannis Theofilopoulos, steering their fireship into the Turk- ish fleet, on the night of the 6th to the 7th of June 1822 off Chios. They are shown nude in the style of ancient heroes, their facial and anatomical features full of intensity, shortly before embarking on their successful mission.
The important Italian sculptor Benedetto Civiletti (1846-1899) was inspired to produce philhellenic works by Angelo Brofferio’s book Antica e Nuova Gre- cia, Scene Elleniche (Turin 1844); much later, in 1883, he composed a work for the last hour of Missolong- hi, with Christos Kapsalis preparing to blow up the powder magazine.
A preliminary study for his original composition with the fireship sailors went on display at the Vi- enna World’s Fair in 1873 and other shows between 1875-78, bringing the artist international recogni- tion. As early as 1875, on commission from Umber- to I, King of Italy, the composition was sculpted in marble and installed in the English Garden in Paler- mo, the artist’s native city.
The group with the Greek fireship sailors is consid- ered one of the most successful sculptural compo- sitions of the later part of the nineteenth century. Released in various sizes, mediums and variations, it
became known by different titles (Kanaris off Chios; The Kanaris Brothers; Kanaris and Pipinos).
The fact that an event of the Greek War of Indepen- dence as early as 1822 continued to inspire artists in the late nineteenth century attests to the impact of philhellenic art.
SCENES AND FIGURES OF FREEDOM The consolidation of the Struggle 219