Page 270 - Beholding Liberty!

270 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
ΙΙ.6.9
The Government Gazette of the Kingdom of Greece
Royal Decree 36 (Nafplio, 28 September 1834) Proclamation of Athens as Royal Seat and Capital Library of the Hellenic Parliament
AFTER THE ASSASSINATION of Ka- podistrias and the arrival of Otto, the subject of the final determination of the seat of the govern- ment and the capital of the newly-founded state came again to the fore, with many cities, such as Corinth, Tripolis, Argos, Syros, Aegina et al. «sub- mitting their candidacy». The discussion featured also in the press of the time, while by a member of the Regency the solution of a mobile capital
II.6.10
Unknown studio
was also proposed. Finally, over the synchronic ar- guments prevailed the diachronic ones, with the brilliance of the glorious past of Athens in clas- sical antiquity illuminating its faded appearance after the surrender of the fortress of Acropolis by the Turkish guard to a regiment of Bavarians, on the 31st March 1833. In the context of the Bavar- ian romantic philhellenism, Athens seemed as the ideal ottonian capital.
Panorama of Athens, ca. 1840-50
disc decorated with handcoloured engraving, diameter 49.5 cm
inscribed: ATHENS (in the middle, centre)
MUSEUM – SOUTH PELOPONNESSUS – AEGINA – AEGEAN SEA – PEIRAEUS – SALAMIS – Ms. of N. GREECE – CITHAERON – PASS OF ELEUSEIS – OBSERVATORY – PARNES Ms. & PLAIN of ATTICA / NORTH – T. of THESEUM – ATHENS – PENTELICUS – LYCABETTUS – PALACE – ACROPOLIS – ODEUM of REGILLA. T. of JUP. OLYMP. – HYMETTUS Ms. (on periphery)
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 399
A DECORATIVE OBJECT of extraordinary de- sign and style, this decorative tray for display is lined with engraving that conforms to the circular shape. The colouring of the engraving and the elegant frame make for an extraordinary and rare artifact.
A panoramic view of Athens is engraved around the perimeter; the major landmarks, drawn from Stademann’s famous panorama, are noted in it. The German artist August Ferdinand Stademann (1791-1873) lived in Athens between 1832-35/36,
employed as a civil servant. In summer 1835, he produced a panorama of the city of Athens as seen from the Hill of the Nymphs, facing the Acropolis. A total of ten drawings were lithographed and pub- lished, alongside explanatory text, in the Panorama von Athen (Munich, 1841).
The Acropolis (upper left) occupies the centre of the composition; between it and Mount Lycabettus (to the left) can be seen Otto’s palace, which dates the tray to the 1840s.