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Philippos Margaritis (1810 - 1892)
Acropolis, general view from the Hill of Philopappus, southwest, 1865
Photo, Albumen silver print
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
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Georgios Margaritis (1814-1884) View of the Akropolis, ca 1845, Watercolour
National Gallery, Athens
* Read below under the Section "Arts in Greece" about the first steps of modern Greek Art during the years of King Otto's reign.
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Letter by the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr Konstantinos Vlasis
on the establishment of a "Greek Diaspora Day"
During the current landmark year, the inter temporal role of the Greek Diaspora, thanks to whom even the Greek Revolution itself began, is highlighted and recognised,
The Greek State is moving towards the establishment a "Greek Diaspora Day", to honour Hellenism worldwide.
Below you can read (in Greek) the letter-invitation of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Greeks abroad, Mr Konstantinos Vlasis, to Greek Associations worldwide, encouraging them to submit their justified proposals with regards to a date of celebration of the "Greek Diaspora Date".
The letter has also been sent directly to the Associations in WA. In case you haven't received it and are interested to submit a proposal, you can contact the Consulate by email of phone for further assistance.
Deadline for submission of proposals: Friday 25 June 2021.
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A bit of History: The first years of the new Greek State
Τhe reign of King Otto (1833-1962)
In February 1830 an Independent Greek State was established as a Kingdom, with the three Great Powers acting as its guarantors. In the next couple of years discussions continued about the prospective King and about the final borders. In 1832, the Greek throne was offered to the Bavarian Prince Otto of Wittelsbach and the border was defined at the Arta-Volos line, also including the Sporades and Cyclades islands.
Otto, the first King of Greece. Otto was still underage when he arrived in Greece in January 1833 with 3,500 Bavarian Troops and 3 advisors, who formed a Regency Council and remained in power even after he formally assumed his duties in June 1835. He immediately hellenicised his name to “Othon” and adopted the Greek national costume, which he still wore even after his retirement.
The Bavarians ruled autocratically and with little respect for local customs; at the same time they underwent a comprehensive reform effort. They shaped a legal and judicial system (1833-1835), withdrew the phoenix and introduced the drachma as the State’s coin (1833), declared the Greek Church autocephalous (1833), moved the capital from Nafplion to Athens (1834), established the University of Athens (1837), the first in Greece, in the Balkans and in the wider Mediterranean region. Furthermore, through a royal decree in 1838, the celebration of the Greek Revolution on 25 March was initiated. In 1841 the National Bank of Greece was created.
On 3 September 1843 and as a result of increasing public dissatisfaction, crowds assembled in front of the Palace led by veterans of the Revolution, demanding a Constitution and a permanent National Assembly. No longer protected by Bavarian troops, Otto gave in to the demands. The subsequent Constitution of 1844 introduced universal suffrage (for men) and changed the regime from “absolute” to “constitutional” monarchy. In a symbolic move, the Square in front of the Palace was renamed to “Constitution Square” (Syntagma Square), holding this name until the present.
Below you will can watch a short and comprehensive audiovisual presentation of Greece during Otto's period prepared by the Benaki Museum, as part of its "Greek History" series:
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Images of Greece
Attica and Central Greece
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Following on with the regions that were part of the first borders of the Independent Greek State, in this issue we will travel through Central Greece and visit Attica and the capital of Greece, Athens.
Below you will get just a taste of the beauties of Central Greece and Attica; find out more by visiting the website of the National Tourism Organisation.
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Central Greece, known as Roumeli, is part of the Greek mainland that has been inhabited since antiquity. There are forested mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, rich fauna and flora and remarkable archaeological sites. Visit the archaeological site of Delphi and the Oracle of Apollo, picturesque seaside towns of Galaxidi and Itea, as well as beautiful Nafpaktos of great historical importance. The lagoon of Messolonghi, the largest Greek wetland, is a natural paradise that includes islets, dunes, forested banks and a rich flora and fauna that provide salt and fish to the locals. But the most precious gift of nature here is bottarga (Greek avgotaracho), one of the few seafood products with a PDO award, a delicacy coming from the eggs of the female grey mullet.
Do you seek the kind of thrill that will pump up your adrenalin? Karpenisi is the ideal destination as there is a multitude of activities for you throughout the year. So, don’t waste time, take a trip to the heart of Greek nature and see ravines with impressive waterfalls, dense forested areas and rapid river waters! If skiing or snowboarding is your thing, make a point of visiting Mt. Parnassos and nearby picturesque Arachova Village, the most cosmopolitan winter destination in Greece. Don’t miss the well-known archaeological sites at Orchomenos Village, Thebes, Plataiaes, and Chaeronea.
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Attica, the land that gave birth to ideas and arts, has created and shaped what we call today the western civilisation. Today, a visit to Attica offers visitors a unique experience. A “journey” in its 6,000-year history, including the chance to see renowned monuments and masterpieces of art of antiquity and the Middle Ages, and the architectural heritage of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here lies Athens, the capital of Greece, the busiest city of the country with the most prominent archaeological site and symbol of the country, the world famous sacred rock of the Acropolis.
Attica is home to some of the world’s most important and fascinating museums and archaeological sites, testimony to its long and prominent role in world history. Festivals featuring ancient Greek drama, as well as performances, sports or culinary events are organised throughout the year, spellbinding the audience.
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You can also download a guide for Athens here
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Arts in Greece
The years of Otto's reign
The history of modern Greek art coincides chronologically with the history of the independent Greek state and, to a degree, expresses its ideological choices. The institutional and functional role of art becomes apparent through the urgent concern of the new state to establish the School of Arts (31 December 1836), to bring foreign teachers to Greece and to send Greek students abroad on scholarships, mainly to Munich, so that in parallel with the other institutions, the painting language would also be “Europeanized”.
Historical scenes and portraits were dominant during this first period of modern Greek art. The former had a more official character, since they were destined primarily for the decoration of public buildings, while the latter give us, in a particularly eloquent way, the image of the new urban class where the marks of its rural origins are quite clear.
The European centres which influenced this first period of modern Greek art were numerous: Italy, France, Austria, and Munich. All these lessons would ultimately lead to academicism owing to the rudimentary aesthetic horizon of expectation of the Greek society of that period.
The brothers Philippos and Georgios Margaritis
Two representatives of that period, who also taught famous Greek Painters like Nikephoros Lytras and Nikolaos Gyzis were the brothers Philippos and Georgios Margaritis.
On a scholarship from the Ioannis Capodistrias government, Philippos Margaritis (1810-1892) studied painting in Rome. He returned to Greece in 1837 and five years later was appointed professor at the School of Arts where he taught until he was discharged in 1862. Together with his brother Georgios, he founded the first photography studio in Athens, introducing the art of photography to Greece. He worked on the organization of the Greek pavilion at the World Exhibition of Paris in 1855, where as an exhibitor he presented photographs of the monuments of the Acropolis. The same year he exhibited his photographs at the National Technical University in the framework of its yearly exhibition, while in 1856 he was a member of the critical committee of the Kontostavleios Competition and presented photographs of the Parthenon reliefs and portraits at the exhibition at the National Technical University. As a photographer again he took part in the International Exhibition of London in 1862 as well as the II Olympia Exhibition in 1870 where he won the silver medal, second class. In 1870 he also made photographic portraits of King George I and Queen Olga.
 
Georgios Margaritis (1814-1884) studied painting and lithography in Paris. In 1836 he returned to Athens and was appointed the first Professor of Painting at the Evelpidon (Military Cadet) School. At the same time he founded a painting studio, in which he also installed lithography apparatus. From 1843 to 1853 he taught, without pay, Advanced Painting, Plaster Work and Oil Painting at the School of Arts. Influenced by the neoclassical spirit, he did portraits of warriors and various personalities of the period with a tendency toward beautification and idealization, but also scenes from the Greek War of Independence, such as the work Karaiskakis Advances on the Acropolis, and Karaiskakis Wounded at the Battle Along the Coast the drawing for which earned him a silver medal in 1870 at the Olympia exhibition. Moreover, in cooperation with his brother, he decorated the palace of King Otto with wall paintings, the Throne Room in particular.
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Did you know...?
Athens became Greece's capital in 1934.
Athens, the glorious polis-state of classical times, was but a small and humble town at the beginning of the 19th century. Its inhabitants tried to survive amidst the neglected and ruined monuments of the city's history.
Deciding which city would be the capital of the newly established country was not an easy task. Influential voices were supporting other cities like Nafplion, Argos, etc., but Athens prevailed in the end. It was powerfully symbolic choosing the city where democracy was born as the first capital of the state. It is speculated that its candidacy was endorsed by Europe's archaeophiles who admired the classical era of ancient Greece.
Initially, the city gathered around the neighborhoods of Psirri, Plaka, and Makrigianni. Public utilities like water, electricity, and transportation did not exist. King Otto, the Bavarian first king of Greece, protected the ancient monuments and hired Greek architect Stamatis Kleanthis and Bavarian architects Eduard Schaubert and Franz Karl Leopold Klenze to design and rebuild the new Greek capital.
(Source: Greece2021)
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Happening elsewhere but accessible also here...
During the times of social distancing caused by the ongoing global pandemic, online exchanges and resources have flourished. They manage to bring us together and give us access to activities that we may have not been able to experience otherwise. Due to the pandemic big part of the Bicentenary Celebration is happening online. Virtual events can thus also reach the most isolated City in the world.
In this Issue we have the following suggestions for you:
1. Exhibition «Beholding Liberty! At the Hellenic Parliament, 2 centuries later»
The Exhibition «Beholding Liberty! At the Hellenic Parliament, 2 centuries later», focuses on testimonies of high historical and artistic value, in order to reconstruct intellectually and emotionally the supreme asset of the Revolution of 1821, Liberty, offering to the visitors, men and women, privileged access to the events that led to its attainment.
The central exhibition narrative revolves around the unique ensemble of wall paintings that adorn the building of the Parliament in the historical Hall of Trophies and Adjutants (current “Eleftherios Venizelos” Hall). These monumental frescoes stand for «talking» testaments of the Exhibition, as the portrayed figures and events come to the fore and invite us to an empathetic survey of the struggle for Freedom.
In «discourse» with the wall paintings, are presented many and unique portable exhibits (manuscript archives, books, newspapers, artworks, objects and weapons), coming from the special collections of the Library of the Parliament, as well as from certain private ones, mainly the philhellenic collection of Michalis and Dimitra Varkarakis.
You can found out more and visit the Exhibition virtually through the following link: https://www.antikrizontas-tin-eleftheria.gr/en/
2. "DESIRE FOR FREEDOM" – the Greek Revolution "comes to life" on buildings of 18 cities throughout Greece
On the weekend of June 12 and 13, the Greek Revolution "came to life" throughout Greece as a central event of the "Greece 2021" Committee. "DESIRE FOR FREEDOM" was screened on iconic buildings of 18 cities, using the technique of projection mapping. It is a visual narrative of the Struggle of 1821 through relevant works of art.
The projections took place simultaneously on the facades of the 18 selected buildings, with the Hellenic Parliament building in the lead. In addition to the history of the Revolution, the projections also address the modern history of each city. It is the most significant mapping project ever attempted in Greece. At the same time, the production of the artistic narrative of the material and its adaptation on the buildings was executed by the Laboratory of Transformable Intelligent Environments (TUC TIE Lab) of the School of Architecture of the Technical University of Crete.
The cities which host the event are: Athens (the Hellenic Parliament building), Alexandroupolis (Zarifeios Pedagogical Academy), Heraklion (the building of the Region of Crete), Thessaloniki (Royal Theatre), Ioannina (Judicial Hall), Kalamata (Visual Arts Workshop - Art Center), Corfu (Old Town Hall), Lamia (Municipal Theatre), Larissa (Club of Guard Officers), Messolonghi (Municipal Gallery), Naoussa (Town Hall), Nafplio (Town Hall), Piraeus (Municipal Theater of Piraeus), Rhodes (Town Hall), Syros (Apollo Theatre), Tripoli (Judicial Hall), Chania (Mikis Theodorakis Theatre), and Chios (Castle Wall - Porta Maggiore).
The Municipalities selected the buildings, and the "Greece 2021" Committee closely collaborated with the local governments for the project's necessary groundwork.
The projection's focus is the narration of the Revolution of 1821, starting in the pre-revolutionary years and concluding with the establishment of the modern Greek State.
The material that composes the visual narrative derives from paintings and other documents such as books or official reports. In particular, more than 300 engravings and paintings from Museums, Municipalities, and private collections in Greece and abroad were used for its development, while the artistic segments of the work were created through a unique procedural approach by the TUC TIE Lab called visual layering, which "gives life" to works of art, adding depth, movement, and sound, using the technique of animation.
This way, during the screening, the viewer has the opportunity to see depictions of life in Greece before the Revolution and follow the events that led to the outbreak of the Struggle, such as the establishment of the Friendly Society or the uprising in Moldova and Wallachia; to watch a series of fictionalized defining moments of the Struggle, such as the Battle of Dervenakia or the Exodus of Messolonghi, and to learn about the first National Assemblies, Philhellenism and the London Protocol of Independence.
The projection of the artistic narrative was adapted to the particular dimensions of each building, taking into consideration, in addition to its height, length and width, many other aspects, such as openings, materials and surface textures, lighting conditions, etc.
The narrative of the Revolution in a digital application, too.
About a month after the screenings, a digital application will begin operating, which, via augmented reality, will enable citizens and visitors of the 18 cities to watch the audiovisual narrative using their mobile phones or tablets. In particular, after installing the free-of-charge application on their device, each user will be able to watch the project by standing in a specific spot in front of each building and aim at the façade with the device's camera. At the same time, through the application, the user will have access to a plethora of information on the Projects and Events of the "Greece 2021" Committee. The application will be available for mobile phones and tablets, Android and iOS, in Greek and English.
You can find out more and watch related videos of every city through https://www.greece2021.gr/en/provoles.html
3. 200 Years in pieces: "The Zeppelin" - Songs 1900-1930
What kind of songs did the young people listen to in the 1900s? What did people dream about when they saw Count Von Zeppelin's airship in the sky? Dionysis Savvopoulos uses serenades, operettas, folk songs from Thrace and Smyrna, Rebetika from America, and more, to takes us to the beginning of the 20th century, to the Macedonian Struggle, the Balkan Wars, the National Schism, the burning of Smyrna and the Asia Minor disaster and the dawn of the new Greek world.
In the context of the projects and events for the 200 years after the Greek Revolution, the "Greece 2021" Committee presents a series of commemorative podcasts with Dionysis Savvopoulos, dedicated to the 200 years of Greek song.
The second podcast of the series "200 YEARS IN PIECES" is entitled "THE ZEPPELIN" – Songs 1900-1930. In this podcast, we listen to unknown recordings, musical testimonies combined with Dionysis Savvopoulos's fascinating narratives evoking the time’s ambiance and the stories behind the story.
Listen to the podcast through the following link: https://www.greece2021.gr/to-zepelin/
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What's happening in WA
Stay informed about past and future activities
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INVITATION TO PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION
‘The Light, Heart and Smiles of Greece’
June 26th – July 4th PSAS Gallery, 22 Pakenham St Fremantle
Nick Melidonis
Public Opening 2.00 – 4.00 pm Sat 26th June. All Welcome
A Greek Odyssey celebrating over two decades of photographing and leading tours to Greece and the Greek Islands by professional award- winning photographer, Nick Melidonis. Nick takes us on a remarkable visual journey to explore and celebrate the people, landscapes and spirit of Greece and its distinctive Islands.
For more information on the story behind the photo exhibition and to view the works, click on Nick’s website https://nickmelidonis.com/greece-exhibition-public
Five Fun Events During the Exhibition held in the PSAS Gallery. These include two photographic Master Classes; an Artist’s Talk; a Free Tour information Evening on Nick’s last two tours to Greece and a Free concert on the last day by Nick and friends. For more details on these events and how to book, please click https://nickmelidonis.com/events-during-the-exhibition
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The West Australian Modern Greek Language Teachers’ Association Inc.
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WAMGLTA Speak Greek in June Competition, 2021
Open to all school-aged children (Pre-primary to Year 12) who are formally studying the Greek language
VIDEO & TOPIC
Students are invited to prepare a video of a maximum 3 minutes’ duration, speaking in Greek on any aspect of the topic: ‘ THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREEK WAR OF INDEPENDENCE'
Suggestions include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Role play
- Reporting of the event
- Interviewing Greek War Heroes of the Revolution
- Original poem/song
- Memoir
- A talk on the importance of revolutions
CATEGORIES
Students may work alone, in pairs, or in groups (no more than 4 persons to a group).
The categories for judging are as follows:
- Background Speakers: Solo, Pair, Group
- Non-background Speakers: Solo, Pair, Group
- Mixed Background and Non-background Speakers: Pair, Group
*Teachers must specify the category of each participant on the Entry Form.
*Students working in pairs or groups in any of the above categories must ensure that the speaking roles are evenly distributed among all participants for fair and equitable judging.
Primary school participants will be judged separately to secondary school participants to allow for differences in presentation, and to give more students the opportunity to win prizes in their respective category. Up to $50 in cash can be won in this special commemorative year of the 200th Anniversary of The Greek War of Independence!
DEFINITIONS
Definition of a ‘Background Speaker’:
For the purpose of the WAMGLTA Speak Greek in June Competition, WAMGLTA’s definition of a ‘Background Speaker’ is a student who is exposed to spoken Greek on a regular basis outside of their school environment wherein they learn Greek formally; for example, Greek spoken at home by one or both parents/grandparents/relatives. “On a regular basis” implies using the Greek language to communicate, even if at a basic level, on a daily/weekly basis outside of the school environment.
Definition of a ‘Non-background Speaker’:
A ‘Non-background Speaker’ is a student who is not exposed to spoken Greek on a regular basis outside of the school environment wherein they learn Greek formally.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The criteria for judging the winner/s of each of the 8 categories above are:
- Fluency in speaking Greek.
Students must not read scripted text in this competition.Students can use palm cards or other prompts, or learn their lines off by heart, although a natural approach is preferred.
- Clear communication of meaning.
- Audience engagement (i.e., making eye contact with the audience/looking into the camera; using a few props/costume items to add appeal to the presentation, if relevant; using hand gestures/body language to add emphasis; varying voice pitch, etc.).
*Errors made in the course of speaking Greek are to be expected and should not prevent candidates from participating in this competition, which is intended to promote the speaking of Greek as a natural and enjoyable practice.
COMPETITION DATES
The competition will open on Tuesday 1 June and close on Saturday 3 July, 2021.
Videos and the completed, signed and dated Entry Forms can be sent to the following email address: WAMGLTA.Inc@gmail.com
Alternatively, teachers can provide the WAMGLTA Committee with a USB containing all of the videos of their school’s participants, along with hard copies of the completed, signed and dated Entry Forms.
Videos will be accepted at any time throughout the month of June and up to the end date of the competition; namely, 3 July.
Judging will take place by 31 July, 2021. Members of the WAMGLTA Executive Committee will judge the entries. The judges’ decision will be final.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. The winners of each category will receive a small prize and public recognition through various local Greek media channels.
WAMGLTA is looking forward to some exciting entries in this year’s SGJ Competition!
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Calendar of events
for the 200th Anniversary Celebrations in WA
*This is a provisional calendar for the next 3 months; it will be enriched and updated regularly
Tuesday 22 June 2021
The Secret Schools: Keeping the Greek Language Alive – Then and Now
Lecture in English delivered by Dr Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis
6.00 pm
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese , 22 Dianella Drive, Dianella
Archdiocesan District of Perth
From 25 June to 4 July 2021
The light, heart and smiles of Greece
Photographic Exhibition
PSAS Gallery, 22-26 Pakenham St, Fremantle
Nick Melidonis Photography
Tuesday 29 June 2021
Byzantium and The Great Idea
Lecture delivered in English by Dr Bill Leadbetter
6.00 pm
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese , 22 Dianella Drive, Dianella
Archdiocesan District of Perth
Sunday 1 August 2021
The Role of the Clergy during the Ottoman Occupation of Greece
Lecture in Greek presented by Deacon Athanasios Athanasiadis (Theologian)
Directly after the Divine Liturgy
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese , 22 Dianella Drive, Dianella
Archdiocesan District of Perth
During the months of August and September 2021
The Role of the Clergy during the Ottoman Occupation of Greece
Workshops for School-age Children by His Grace Bishop Elpidios Kyaneon, assisted by The West Australian Modern Greek Language Teachers’ Association Inc. (WAMGLTA)
The Workshops will take place in various venues of Greek Education Providers
Archdiocesan District of Perth
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If you too wish to publish something to our Bulletin, please email us at grcon.per@mfa.gr with the indication on the subject line "for the 200 Years Bulletin"
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