Page 376 - Beholding Liberty!
P. 376
376 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
ΙΙ.9.9
Konstantinos Volanakis (1837-1907) [attributed] Portrait of a veteran warrior
oil on canvas, 89 × 65 cm
Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 627
A RARE PORTRAIT by a leading exponent of modern Greek painting. Volanakis portrays a male figure in fustanella, facing front, in a sparse man- ner: The complementary elements of his clothing have been reduced to the bare minimum; the back- ground is also stark. The image focuses entirely on the sitter, whose solemn, direct gaze establishes an immediate rapport with beholders. In this work
inspired by the War of Independence, Volanakis goes beyond the limits of historical painting and official portraiture. Our unknown hero does not pro- mote himself; rather, he becomes a humble repre- sentative of all the thousands of anonymous fight- ers who died for altars and hearths. In this sense, Volanakis’ portrait pays tribute to the unknown soldier of 1821.
