Object ID
2015.26.3
Object Name
Print
Title
Acropolis of Athens
Date Created
1975
Measurements
39.84752 cm. W x 44.92752 cm. L, Item (Overall)
Object Entities
Varlamos, George (created by)
Object Description
A woodcutting print. The image is a depiction of the Acropolis. The majority of the image is taken up by a large, brown, rocky hill. There are patches of green grass at the base of the hill, with green shrubs or trees farther up. At the top of the hill is a group of Ancient Greek buildings in various states of ruin. Behind this is a blue sky, with a blue mountain behind and to the right of the hill. Because it is a woodcutting, the texture of the image is mostly created by white lines and areas. The Acropolis is mostly made using white space, with some brown. This fades into the hill, which is mostly brown, with the rocky areas defined by white space. The branches of the trees are created by an absence of green color. And the sky is differentiated from the mountain by having white lines, while the mountain is solid blue.
Below the print is the following text:
"The Acropolis of Athens" an original wood-cutting by the painter-engraver George Varlamos.
An offer to the friends in Chicago of the National Bank of Greece on the occasion of the inauguration of its Chicago Branch.
(14th March 1975).
Origin
This print was donated by Alex Gianaras. The print depicts the Acropolis, a well-known and important landmark in Athens. Most of the important structures that make up the Ancient Greek citadel were built during the 5th century BCE, under the direction of the renowned Greek statesman, Pericles. The buildings include the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens; the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon; the Temple of Athena Nike, dedicated to Athena in her form as the goddess of victory in war and wisdom. The entrance to the Acropolis is an enormous stone gateway called the Propylaea. Every four years, during a festival called the Great Panathenaea. The festival included a procession to the Parthenon, after which a robe was placed on the statue of Athena an a large sacrifice was made to Athena.
According to the writing below the print, the original woodcutting was made for the opening of the Chicago branch of the National Bank of Greece on March 14, 1975.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Print, 1975, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/10955. Accessed 03/28/24.