Next year marks the 200th anniversary of the death of the great Romantic poet Lord Byron, and the Society for Hellenism (EEF) and the Philhellenism Museum have declared 2024 as the “Year of Lord Byron and Philhellenism”. The aim is, through a series of activities, to promote and honour the great British philhellene and the international contribution of philhellenism, but also to establish philhellenism as an ongoing body of values.
In this context, the EEF and the Philhellenism Museum will sponsor a series of activities and invite cultural bodies across Greece and abroad to organise events centred on the work of Lord Byron and philhellenism. Financial assistance will be given to activities and events which promote, for example:
– information and education of the public about the history of philhellenism, and its role in shaping the history of modern Greece;
– highlighting of Lord Byron’s work and promotion of the Greek cultural heritage as the cradle of Western culture;
– preservation of the historical memory of philhellenism and historical research relating to its iconic personalities;
– the encouragement of cultural exchanges with bodies within Greece and abroad, centred on the philhellenism movement and its connection with the contemporary world and the future;
– reinforcing the cultural map of Greece with the emphasis on mountainous, island and remote areas etc, and the involvement of local bodies and communities;
– raising the awareness of the young as to the need for deeper understanding and knowledge of the recent historical past;
– revival of interest in the preservation of Greece’s intangible cultural heritage;
– the creation of a framework for the development of multidisciplinary activities, with the emphasis on young people based in the regions, on fragile and vulnerable groups etc;
– creation of open and inclusive activities in which people can participate regardless of their place of residence, gender, ethnicity, financial capacity, educational and social background, opinions, etc.
Further information can be found on the EEF website.
Byron in a new exhibition at the Benaki Museum
The famous portrait of Lord Byron in Albanian dress by Thomas Phillips is one of the most notable works to be included in a new exhibition entitled the “Grand Tour” at the Benaki Museum in Athens. The main building of the British Embassy in Athens – formerly the residence of Eleftherios Venizelos – is to be closed for the next 2 years for renovation, and in the meantime 17 works from the Embassy, which form part of the UK’s Government Art Collection, are being displayed at the Benaki Museum and its Ghika Gallery.
Conceived as a “pop-up” exhibition interspersed with other works from the Museum’s permanent collections, the placing of the works follows the themes of the existing museum narrative. The aim is for them to provide new and unexpected encounters and highlight both the common stories and the strong cultural and diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and Greece.
Many European artists travelled to Greece in the 19th century, bringing back works which recorded scenes of their “grand tour”. John Frederick Lewis (1805-1876) made visits to Switzerland (1827), Italy and Spain (1832/34) and Paris (1837), before continuing to Rome, Constantinople, Greece and the Middle East, arriving in Cairo in 1841 and remaining for about ten years. The German marine landscape painters Anton and Joseph Schranz (father and son), ended up in Malta by way of Minorca – their works offer a picture of the Greek islands in the 19th century.
Part of the exhibition is housed in the modernist Athenian residence of Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, where the Ghika gallery is now located. His oil paintings and water colours, alongside those of John Craxton, celebrate the enduring friendship and artistic interaction between the two late-20th century artists.
Collected over a period of more than 120 years, the Government Art Collection aims to promote British art by placing works in British government buildings, and two-thirds of the collection is displayed in ministerial offices and diplomatic residences around the globe. It consists of nearly 15,000 works of art spanning six centuries, and is constantly being enriched by new acquisitions.