In 1932, "Prometheus Lyomenos" by Danish painter Carl Bloch was in Tatoi in Athens among the artworks of the former royal family. The Danish Art Gallery will exhibit it starting on February 11.
Created in 1864 by the painter Carl Bloch, the painting "Prometheus Lyomenos"(meaning unbound in Greek) is beautiful, majestic and captivating. Its dimensions exceed four meters in height and three meters in width. It depicts the moment of redemption: Prometheus finally bursts his bonds, Hercules has just freed him. The eagle, which has been eating Prometheus' gut every day, collapses on the rock.
This work, painted by Bloch during his stay in Rome, was one of the first commissions - perhaps even the first - received by the Danish-born King George I after his accession to the throne of Greece. With this painting alone, Bloch managed to achieve fame since in 1865 it became a symbol of the liberation of Denmark, after the traumatic experience with the Prussians a year earlier.
Before being taken to Athens, it was briefly exhibited at Charlottenborg Palace and then moved to Athens, where it was reportedly hung on a wall in the main staircase of the palace. In 1932, it traveled again to Copenhagen, again for an exhibition at Charlottenborg. At the time, Bloch's works were not considered exciting, they were considered old-fashioned, and it took until the 1980s for them to regain fame.
"The painting was exhibited at Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen in 1932, with the inscription that it belonged to Prince George of Greece and Denmark. Prince George lived in Greece and Denmark for many years and owned the manor house of Gurrehus in North Zealand, Denmark. As far as I know, the painting stayed in Copenhagen for a few years after 1932 and was hung in Christiansborg Castle," says the curator of the exhibition at the Danish National Gallery, Peter Nørgaard Larsen.
"Then in 1956 it was mentioned in Erik Zahle's book on art in Denmark, with Christiansborg Castle given as the location of the painting. Most likely, "Prometheus Lyomenos" returned to Athens after the death of Prince George in 1957, but we have no information about where it was kept. We suspect that it was in Tatoi, where it was found by the Greek Ministry of Culture in 2012" adds Peter Nørgaard Larsen. Experts, art historians and even detectives searched for it in vain. No one was able to locate it. All traces of the painting were lost forever. Until one morning in the spring of 2022.
When the Danish National Gallery was preparing for the major Carl Bloch exhibition, it turned to the Ribe Art Museum to borrow two sketches of "Prometheus Lyomenos". There, while searching the archives, a staff member discovered a letter from 2006 from an employee of the National Gallery of Athens. A letter that, for some reason, no one had read before. It said that the original painting had been identified on the list of items that the former Greek royal family wanted to take to London in 1991.
The shock and excitement at the National Gallery of Denmark was unprecedented and at last it was found. It had been in Greece all along, in the possession of the Ministry of Culture. According to the National Gallery of Denmark, the painting was for decades rolled up among the other items that the former royal family had left behind in Tatoi.
Tatoi Royal Palace
The painting, which was accompanied by an official from the Ministry of Culture, has traveled to Copenhagen for being displayed as part of the exhibition "Seduced" featuring works by Carl Bloch, which opened on Saturday, February 11, and runs until mid-May. It will be presented to the public for the first time in 90 years.
"Prometheus Lyomenos" is a masterpiece by Carl Bloch. It is the painting that brought him great fame and respect throughout his life and made him the most important artist in Denmark," explains Peter Nørgaard Larsen.
It is significant that at the same time as the painting is presented, a documentary film is shown about its value, its path, its technique and the thriller that for decades was associated with his name.
"Although Bloch revived the history of painting in Denmark and created many important works, ‘Prometheus Lyomenos’ remains his greatest work. One realizes that its 90-year disappearance was a great loss for Danish art history, critics, historians and, of course, for the public, who could not enjoy this masterpiece and re-evaluate its importance. The discovery by the Greek Ministry of Culture secured great exclusivity for our exhibition.
The Danish media have reported extensively on this discovery and we expect a large number of visitors who will see this monument of Danish art history with their own eyes.
One of the greatest myths and mysteries of Danish art, the disappearance of "Prometheus Lyomenos", has been solved, and this undoubtedly increases the curiosity and excitement of the public."
He concludes by saying: "I hope that it will soon be exhibited in Greece as well. To celebrate the day and as a symbol of the struggle for Greek independence."
According to the plans of the Ministry of Culture, the painting will be exhibited in Tatoi when the restoration works and the transformation of the building into a museum will be completed, around 2025.
