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Pavlos Prosalentis (Greek: Παύλος Προσαλέντης; 28 January 1784 in Corfu – 1 February 1837 in Corfu) was the first professional sculptor in modern Greece.Ionian Sculpture
@ the
He was descended from a noble Byzantine family, who fled to areas under the control of the
@ the National Gallery of Athens. After returning to Corfu, he participated in creating an "Academy of Sciences", sponsored by the French government. In 1811, he opened a private art school; the first such modern school to be established in Greece. When Corfu became a protectorate of the British Empire in 1815, Lord High Commissioner Thomas Maitland transformed the school into the "Public Academy of Fine Arts". By 1819, it had eighty students. The following year, Prosalentis was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George. The painter Dionysios Vegias was one of his pupils. In 1824, when Lord Guilford created the
@ the
National Gallery of Athens
The National Gallery ( el, Εθνική Πινακοθήκη, ''Ethniki Pinakothiki'') is an art museum located on Vasilissis Sofias avenue in the Pangrati district, Athens, Greece. It is devoted to Greek and European art from the 14th century ...
. He is often referred to as "The Elder" to distinguish him from his grandson, also named Pavlos Prosalentis (1857-1894), who was a painter.
Biography
He was descended from a noble Byzantine family, who fled to areas under the control of the Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
after the Fall of Constantinople. His first teacher was an Italian sculptor and woodcarver who was living on Corfu.
In 1805, he went to Rome where he enrolled at the Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fi ...
and studied with Antonio Canova.Brief biography@ the National Gallery of Athens. After returning to Corfu, he participated in creating an "Academy of Sciences", sponsored by the French government. In 1811, he opened a private art school; the first such modern school to be established in Greece. When Corfu became a protectorate of the British Empire in 1815, Lord High Commissioner Thomas Maitland transformed the school into the "Public Academy of Fine Arts". By 1819, it had eighty students. The following year, Prosalentis was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George. The painter Dionysios Vegias was one of his pupils. In 1824, when Lord Guilford created the
Ionian Academy
The Ionian Academy ( el, Ιόνιος Ακαδημία) was the first Greek academic institution established in modern times. It was located in Corfu. It was established by the French during their administration of the island as the ''département ...
, Prosalentis was one of the first to be offered a teaching position there. He accepted, but declined to take a salary, suggesting that the money be spent on making copies of the Elgin Marbles
The Elgin Marbles (), also known as the Parthenon Marbles ( el, Γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα, lit. "sculptures of the Parthenon"), are a collection of Classical Greece, Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of th ...
and other works that had been removed from the Parthenon
The Parthenon (; grc, Παρθενών, , ; ell, Παρθενώνας, , ) is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena during the fifth century BC. Its decorative sculptures are considere ...
, and using them for educational or restorative work. He eventually received numerous free copies, creating scholarships from the money saved. Although not a wealthy man, he often gave private lessons for only the cost of materials and transportation.
Eventually, casting
Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...
and other foundry work damaged his health and he died in 1837, at the age of fifty-three.
In addition to his own sculpting, he also made sketches for works by other sculptors and pedestal panels for several monuments and busts. He also did some painting, mostly of a religious nature. Many of his works have been lost or destroyed. In addition to his namesake, Pavlos (mentioned above), his son Spyridon, grandson , and granddaughters, and were also artists.
References
Further reading
* "Pavlos Prosalentis, the elder", in: Stelios Lydakis (Ed.), ''The Greek painters vol.4, Dictionary of Greek painters and engravers (16th-20th century)'', Melissa, Athens, p.367External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosalentis, Pavlos 1784 births 1837 deaths Greek sculptors Artists from Corfu Order of St Michael and St George 18th-century Greek sculptors 19th-century Greek sculptors