The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, opened the exhibition “Prometheus Lyomenos – A masterpiece returns to light”, organized by the Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulou Museum. Its exhibition, the first presentation of the most important work to the Greek public after many decades, is particularly important for both art and culture, as it essentially presents the work to the Greek public, as a precursor to its permanent and definitive restoration in its natural location, in the permanent exhibition of the collection of the former royal estate of Tatoi.
“What makes Carl Bloch’s ‘Prometheus Lyomenos’ even more special,” said Lina Mendoni, “is its historical trajectory. It was commissioned by George I of Greece, a Danish king of descent, who in 1863 assumed the country’s throne. The choice of the Prometheus myth was not accidental. For the young king, the theme represented his ambitions for the universal liberation and rebirth of Greece, after the Revolution of 1821. At the same time, the work also had particular importance for Denmark, where it was exhibited in 1865, just one year. following the country’s defeat in the Prussian-Danish War. The Danes saw Prometheus as a symbol of their own national resistance and hope for their liberation, making it a work of double national significance.”
The work is based on the myth of Prometheus, the titan who stole fire from the gods and offered it to humans, representing a timeless symbolism of freedom and resistance against oppression.
The painting depicts the scene of Prometheus’ liberation by Hercules, essentially a moment of triumph and redemption expressed with enormous power and drama. Bloch manages to convey the intensity of the moment through impeccable handling of light and composition, while the allegory of freedom that the theme provides permeates both the work and the viewer.
“The work “Prometheus Lyomenos”, highlighted the Minister, upon returning to Greece from his exhibition in Denmark in 1865, was placed on the central staircase of the ancient palaces in Athens, where it remained for a long time. Over time, the work disappeared from the public sphere. For decades it was considered lost. The work was located, during work by the Department of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture, at the Tatoi Heritage Site. The work, in 2022, was declared a monument by the Ministry of Culture. With the completion of conservation and restoration work, the work was re-exhibited in 2023, in a Carl Bloch retrospective at the National Gallery of Denmark. In this exhibition, Bloch’s largest to date, which explored the multiple aspects of his work and his varied trajectory, “Prometheus Lyomenos” took center stage, as it is one of the artist’s most representative works, but also because of its special sentimental and historical importance. value to the people of Denmark”.
The exhibition of Carl Bloch’s work is organized by the Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulos Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments and the Department of More Recent Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture.
The exhibition “Prometheus Lyomenos – A masterpiece returns to light”, will be on display until January 6, 2025.