What I can see

A brass four-metre-tall statue of Koloktronis on horseback, which stands on an elliptical marble pedestal. The sculptor used materials from cannons of the Greek Revolution. There are many theories about the destination the statue points towards but none of them has been verified. There is also the question of why Kolokotronis is depicted with one foot raised –which indicates that he died of wounds on the battlefield according to the international language of sculpture– even though in reality, he died from old age. The artist may have intended to honour his subject’s reputation, against international norms, as a heroic figure of the revolution.

What I can't see

Kolokotronis (1770-1843) was a descendant of the family of klephts and armatoli and a leading personality of the Greek Revolution and the political life of the country in the period that ensued. In 1821, he led the Greeks in many battles against the Ottoman Empire, the most important being the annihilation of the army of Dramalis in Dervenakia (Peloponnese). The sculptor wanted the statue to be without a helmet in order to emphasize Kolokotronis trademark long hair, but he ended up succumbing to pressure and adding one. In 2000, during maintenance works, the following inscription was found on the inside of the helmet: “My dear Kolokotronis, put your helmet back on, against Sohos’ will. Paris1909”.

Info

• Address: 13 Stadiou St.

Bibliography