Exhibition Texts

“Prometheus Unbound” – A 19th century masterpiece in Chios

The Ministry of Culture and the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation continue their long and fruitful collaboration, presenting one of the most impressive works of art created in the 19th century for Greece − a work that passed from fame to oblivion and obscurity. Now restored, today it inspires admiration again.

Among the tens of thousands of objects recorded and preserved by the Ministry’s services in the former summer palace of Tatoi, the discovery of the monumental painting by the Danish painter Carl Bloch, titled Prometheus Unbound, truly stands out. It was creatyed in 1864, commissioned by the then young King Georgios I of Greece on the occasion of his accession to the throne (1863). The painting was exhibited twice more in Denmark, in 1910 and 1932, but then its traces began to disappear, leading to speculation that it has since been lost. In 2012, during restoration work at Tatoi, it was found carefully wrapped in a wooden cylinder. After thorough conservation and documentation, the painting was presented at the National Gallery of Denmark in 2023 as part of Carl Bloch’s retrospective exhibition “Seduced”. In 2024, the Greek public had the opportunity to admire it for the first time in public, in Athens, at the Pavlos and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum. Chios is the only other destination chosen to exhibit the painting, before it is finally included in the permanent exhibition at the Manor of the Tatoi Estate.

Given the scant information about the commissioning of the work, we cannot speak with certainty about its exact symbolism. Its title comes from a lost tragedy from the 5th century BC, about the release of Prometheus from his chains. Hence, associations are effortlessly evoked, alluding to the human resistance against the oppression of power, to the eternal struggle for independence and redemption.

The exhibition, organized by the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation in collaboration with the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage and the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments, introduces a prolific and highly visible artist of his time. At the same time, it sheds light on the fascinating history of a painting that, as of 2022, has been declared a monument of our cultural heritage.

Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890)

Born in Copenhagen in 1834 into a large, wealthy and cultured family, he lived in a time of great political and social upheaval and transformation that changed the shape of Europe. From an early age he showed an aptitude for painting and studied at the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts (1849-1853) under Wilhelm Marstrand. His travels on scholarship to study and work in France, the Netherlands and Italy (1859-62, 1863-65), and especially his stay in Rome, were important in shaping his personal style, where Rembrandt’s influence is evident. He worked mainly in his native city and from a very early age he was distinguished and honoured, accepted by both the public and art critics. He developed a close friendship with the writer Hans Christian Andersen and was supported by the famous patron of the time, J.C. Jacobsen, founder of the Carlsberg brewery.

Bloch began as a painter of genre work, depicting everyday life with realism and a tendency to idealize, while he was also a sought-after master portrait painter. However, he became famous thanks to monumental religious, historical and mythological subjects, such as Prometheus Unbound (1864). His twenty-three paintings depicting scenes from the life of Christ, commissioned by J.C. Jacobsen (1865-1879) for the royal chapel in Frederiksborg Castle, were a lifetime achievement for the artist. These works, which convey a profound piety far removed from Protestant austerity, have become universally popular regardless of denomination and are also a reference point for many artists. Indeed, some consider Bloch to be the most important artist to interpret the life and death of Christ.

In 1868 he married Alma Trepka, with whom he had eight children. In 1883 he became a professor at the Copenhagen Academy of Fine Arts and Director of the School of Painting. In 1888 he received the highest honour for an artist when he was asked to paint a self-portrait for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. He died prematurely of cancer, in Copenhagen in 1890, and his death was described as a “sudden blow to Scandinavian art”. Although later forgotten, today Carl Bloch is acknowledged as one of the most important Danish painters of the 19th century and his rich artistic legacy remains popular.

Prometheus in mythology and art

Prometheus was a Titan, son of Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene or Asia. According to myth, he was the benefactor of the human race. He stole fire from Zeus and gave it to humans, along with the knowledge of all the arts. He thus endowed them with the gift of creation, which until then only the gods had possessed, thus making a decisive contribution to the progress of civilisation.

He was horribly punished for this act. Zeus ordered his followers, Kratos and Bia, to arrest him and, with the help of Hephaestus, chain him to the top of the Caucasus. An eagle, the child of Echidna and Typhon, devoured his liver every day, which was regenerated at night. Centuries later, Hercules arrived in the Caucasus, killed the eagle with his bow and, with the consent of Zeus, freed Prometheus.

The myth is described by Hesiod (8th-7th century BCE), Aeschylus (5th century BCE), Apollodorus (2nd century BCE) and other ancient writers. It was the tragic poetry of the 5th century BCE that gave a heroic dimension to the Promethean drama. We know that during that time three tragedies were written on this very theme: Prometheus the Fire-Bringer (about the theft of fire), Prometheus Bound (about Prometheus’ punishment), Prometheus Unbound (about his deliverance). Of these, the second survives, while only fragments of the others remain. The three tragedies are attributed to the same author, who is traditionally identified with Aeschylus, although several researchers, noting differences with his other works, believe that the author was someone else.

From the 16th century, the myth of Prometheus began to inspire again. At first, writers emphasized his role as the benefactor of the human race, while painters highlighted the passion and tragedy of his fate. Later, in the Romantic era (late 18th-19th century), Prometheus became a symbol of resistance and independence, inspiring poets such as Goethe, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley, as well as musicians such as Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt.

Looking at Prometheus Unbound

This monumental oil painting (398 x 277 cm) blends the mythological dimension with human struggle and redemption. Bloch masterfully manipulates light and shadow to capture with striking intensity the moment when Prometheus, overcome with tension, breaks his bonds. The work focuses on the central figure, with the hero in the foreground of the composition and his robust body in a diagonal position. The vivid red fabric around the waist and down the back breaks the monotony of the almost monochrome grey-brown-toned composition, heightening the intensity of the moment. In the background Hercules is depicted as the liberator, composed, bow in hand, while the eagle crashes into the rocks, struck by the arrow. In the lower left-hand corner is the artist’s signature and the date 1864.

The artist’s intention is to project the passion and stimulate the emotions in order to achieve “through pity and fear […] the catharsis of such passions”, according to Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. The emergence of personality and the portrayal of the suffering individual dominated artistic creation during the second half of the 19th century, mainly in northern Europe, in the framework of both Romanticism and Realism. Depicting the myth of Prometheus Unbound shapes and interprets these passions in the best way, leading to redemption, to catharsis.

King Georgios I probably knew Carl Bloch from their common birthplace, Copenhagen, where the latter had already presented his works. During the painter’s trip to Greece (1864), the king commissioned the work from him, choosing the mythological scene himself. The painting was created in Rome, but before travelling to Greece, perhaps in 1865, in order to decorate the central staircase of the Old Palace (now the Greek Parliament), it was exhibited at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. The painting’s great public appeal cemented Bloch’s reputation as a major Danish artist of the 19th century. Today, Prometheus Unbound, one of his masterpieces, is open to many readings and interpretations based on its historical context. While in Denmark it reflected the country’s hope of regaining territory that it had recently lost to Prussia, in Greece it marked the beginning of the reign of Georgios I (1863-1913) and his ambition to become the king of all Greeks.

The History of the Painting

1863

Christian IX ascends to the throne of Denmark. His son, George I, is crowned King of the Hellenes.

1864

On the occasion of his enthronement, the 17-year-old George I commissions to the Danish painter Carl Bloch a painting depicting the release of Prometheus from his bonds. The work is executed in Rome in monumental dimensions (3.98 x 2.77 m.).

Schleswig-Holstein War between Denmark and Prussia. Denmark loses the war as well as the above two duchies.

The Ionian Islands are ceded to Greece; the first region to be annexed during the reign of George I.

1865

The painting is initially exhibited in the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, and crowds flock to admire it. For the Danish people, the depiction of an eagle (which was the emblem of Prussia) wounded by an arrow symbolizes their vision for their liberation from the Prussians.

The painting arrives in Greece and is installed above the central staircase of the old Palace (the present-day Hellenic Parliament).

1870

George I purchases the statue “Penelope” from the Greek sculptor Leonidas Drossis and places it at the central staircase across Prometheus Unbound.

1880s

Scandinavian artists discover the new trends in European art and abandon academic painting. Interest in Bloch’s work, which belongs to this tradition, gradually declines.

1888

In 1888, George I celebrates 25 years on the Greek throne. Athenian newspapers publish anniversary tributes, where they mention the “very expressive depiction of Prometheus”.

1897

During the Greco-Turkish war, Alexander Svedstrup, a Danish journalist, visits George I in Athens and notes that the “famous monumental Prometheus by Bloch” is still showcased in the central staircase of the Palace.

1910

The painting is put on display in an exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.

1924

Abolition of monarchy in Greece and establishment of the republic.

1932

The painting is once again exhibited in the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen but is now received with indifference. “His Highness Prince George of Greece” is mentioned as its owner.

1935

Restitution of the monarchy in Greece. George II returns to the throne.

1973

According to the Legislative Decree regarding “The expropriation of immovable and movable property of the former King” (Government Gazette 78Α΄/1973), the painting is located on the ground floor of the Rododafni Castle in Penteli, in Athens.

1974

Referendum: Abolition of the monarchy in Greece and establishment of presidential parliamentary republic.

2012

The painting is discovered by the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture in the area of the former palace of Tatoi, without a frame and carefully wrapped in a roll.

2022

Prometheus Unbound is declared as a listed monument, after a unanimous consultation by the Central Council of Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture.

Systematic conservation of the painting by the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture.

2023

The painting is displayed in the National Gallery of Denmark in the context of a retrospective Carl Bloch exhibition titled “Seduced”.

2024

First presentation of the work to the Greek public at the Pavlos and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum.

2025

The painting will be permanently exhibited in the Royal Mansion at the Tatoi Estate.