Page 405 - Beholding Liberty!

HALL OF THE ADJUTANTS
ΙΙΙ.3.2
Unknown artist
after a lithograph of Adam Friedel
Portrait of Paleon Patron Germanos
oil on wood, 38 x 27 cm (maximum dimensions) The Zaïmis Family Collection
AN OVAL-SHAPED PAINTED PORTRAIT of Ger- manos of Old Patras, one of a series of four of the same type [see cat. no III.1.5].
Produced by an anonymous painter, it is based on the type of the bishop’s image seen in Adam Friedel’s lithograph [cf. cat. no III.8.3].
ΙΙΙ.3.3
Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess (1792-1871)
The Metropolitan Germanos blesses the flag of freedom 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: Ο Μητροπολίτης Γερμανός ευλογεί / την σημαίαν της ελευθερίας. (top) / Metropolit Germanos / raising the banner of liberty. (left) / Le Métropolite Germanos / arborant l’étendart de la liberté. (right) / Metropolit Germanos / erhebt die Fahne der Freiheit. (bottom) Hellenic Parliament Art Collection, inv. n. 306
THE ENGRAVING COMES FROM the series of works by Peter von Hess [cf. cat. nos II.1.17-20].
It shows Germanos, Bishop of Old Patras, proclaiming the Revolution at the monastery of Agia Lavra near Kalavryta, on March 25, 1821, and blessing the fighters, who kneel before him. The cleric is prominently placed in the centre, in priest- ly vestments and raised arms, pointing to the cross held by a priest on his side and blessing the fighters who kneel be- fore him and their banner, also bearing the cross. Christ the Almighty, in the background, watches as if similarly blessing what is happening. Hess’s scene visually and formally docu- ments the legend of the proclamation of the Revolution on the day of the Annunciation of the Virgin.
HEROON OF THE STUGGLE The Heroes of the sword 405