Page 226 - Beholding Liberty!

ΙΙ.3.17
Konrad Lange (1809-1856) Medallion of Markos Botsaris, 1836
obverse: Portait of Markos Botsaris
reverse: Markos Botsaris attacks the army camp of the Turks at Kefalovryso, Evrytania, in August 1823
signed: Κ. ΛΑΓΓK (front side)
inscribed: ΜΑΡΚΟΣ – ΒΟΤΖΑΡΗΣ (back side) ΛΟΓΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΜΟΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΕ (top)• ΚΑΡΠΕΝΗΣΙ 12 ΑΥΓ • / 1823 (bottom) (back side) bifacial bronze medallion, diameter 4.4 cm
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 879
ONE OF A SERIES OF 12 ELABORATE BRONZE MEDALS with figures and episodes of the Greek War of Independence, published by Konrad Lange in 1836. The Bavarian engrav- er Lange came to Greece during Otto’s reign, in 1834, and worked at the Athens Mint until 1840.
It shows Markos Botsaris in profile, with his fea- tures beautifully carved in relief, emphasising
ΙΙ.3.18
L. Gualtieri (unidentified Italian artist) The Death of Markos Botsaris, t.p.q. 1841
oil on canvas, 55 × 69 cm
signed: L. Gualtieri (bottom left)
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 824
ΙΙ.3.19
distinctive details, such as the Souliote hairstyle.
On the verso, the hero is depicted attacking the Turkish camp at Kefalovrysso, in Evrytania, on Au- gust 12, 1823, waving his sword and spreading terror to the enemy. The inscription ‘ΛΟΓΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΜΟΙ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΕ’ (I have a word from God for you) comes from the Book of Judges (3:20).
226 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
Sotirios Christidis (1858-1940)
The death of Markos Botsaris at Karpenissi on 8th August 1823, ca. 1900-1910
coloured lithograph, 51 x 71 cm (sheet)
signed: Σ. Χρηστίδης (bottom right, on the image) ΕΚΔΟΤΗΣ Δ. ΠΑΠΑΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ – ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΟΔΟΣ ΑΙΟΛΟΥ 172 (bottom left) ΛΙΘ. ΣΤΑΓΓΕΛ & ΣΑ – ΑΘΗΝΑΙ (bottom right)
inscribed (captions): ΤΟ ΗΡΩΟΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΕΩΣ // Ο ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΜΑΡΚΟΥ ΜΠΟΤΣΑΡΗ ΕΝ ΚΑΡΠΕΝΗΣΙΩι ΤΗι 8 ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΥ 1823 (bottom left) MAUSOLÉE DES HÉROS DE LA RÉVOLUTION GRECQUE // MORT DE MARCO BOTSARIS, A CARPÉNISI, LE 8 AOUT 1823 (bottom right)
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 391
THE DEATH of Markos Botsaris, in the wake of the Battle at Kefalovrysso, in Evrytania, between 8 and 9 August 1823, served for an iconic depic- tion of the hero’s death. The figure of the Souliote chieftain, especially the dramatic scene of receiv- ing his mortal wound on the battlefield, resulted in many different visual accounts produced over the course of time, mainly in painting and printmaking, signed by important artists, such as the painters
Horace Vernet, Filippo Marsigli, Jean-Charles Lan- glois and G. Simonetti.
This painting [cat. no II.3.18] by G. Gualtieri – an Italian, about whom no further information is available – in fact reproduces at scale the 1841 painting by Ludovico Lipparini (1800-1856), now in Trieste (oil on canvas, 160 × 230 cm, Civico Mu- seo Sartorio, inv. no 20208). The wounded Botsaris is prominently placed in the image centre, serving