2021 sees the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the catalyst for a decade of revolt against the Ottoman Empire which led to Independence for Greece in 1830. Bonhams inaugural Greek Sale in Paris on Wednesday 19 May offers several works associated with this momentous event including the masterpiece La Captive by Théodore Ralli (Greek 1852-1909) estimated at €300,000-500,000.

Regarded as among Ralli's very finest works, La Captive depicts a young Greek girl in traditional peasant costume held prisoner by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire in a desecrated church. Her simplicity and purity stand in stark and symbolic contrast to that of her surroundings and the demeanour of her jailers amid the spoils of victory. The unsentimental nobility of the young woman's gaze invites the viewer to share her plight and, by extension, that of the Greek people. This was a powerful message not only for Greeks themselves but for the many philhellenes in Europe who saw Greece's struggle for independence as part of a wider battle to protect and advance the values of western civilization. The painting is also a technical tour de force, showcasing the attention to detail for which Ralli was renowned.

Bonhams Greek Art specialist Anastasia Orfanidou said, "Although La captive was painted in 1885, many years after the event it depicts, the work found a ready audience who recognized Ralli's ability to capture not only the poignancy of the moment but also the cause of freedom from tyranny everywhere. It is a remarkable painting which like other works in the sale inspired by the Greek Revolution, retains its powerful impact. It is particularly fitting that this work leads our first Greek sale in Paris, a city where Ralli enjoyed so much success and esteem."
Other highlights include:

• Sur la guerre d' Indépendance / Paysage orphique by Nikos Engonopoulos (Greek 1907-1985). Painted in 1939 as much of Europe, including Greece, lived under the shadow of impending war and oppression, the painting drew its inspiration from an earlier conflict, the Greek Revolution and War of Independence. The work was exhibited in the 1954 Venice Biennale, where, for the first time, Greece was represented by one artist alone. Engonopoulos showed alongside such towering figures of modern art as Arp, Ernst, Miro, Klee, Bacon and Magritte. Sur la Guerre d'Indépendance (Paysage Orphique) is a leading example from the artist's much sought after, highly desirable, pre-war period. Estimate: €140,000-180,000.

• Le héros Karaiskakis en guerre avec Kioutachis by Theofilos Hadjimichael (Greek, 1871-1934). The work dates from 1911 and is a homage to a giant of the 1821 Greek War of Independence, Georgios Karaiskakis, commander-in-chief of Greek forces in eastern Greece. Portrayed on horseback and followed by prominent chieftains (their names fully mentioned in a lengthy inscription), Karaiskakis hounds the Turk Reshid Mehmed Pasha (known to the Greeks as Kiutahi) who had laid siege to the Acropolis of Athens in 1826. The Sacred Rock was of little strategic importance but it had a strong emotional and symbolic value for the Greeks and the philhellenic movement in Europe. The frame was designed by Yannis Tsarouchis, a fellow member of the famous 1930s' generation of Greek painters, writers and intellectuals. Estimate: €80,000-120,000.

• Le héros Odysseas Androutsos by Theofilos Hadjimichael. Theofilos had a lifelong fascination with the 1821 Greek War of Independence, and this work pays homage to one of the giants of the uprising, Odysseus Androutsos. A brave and fierce klepht (brigand), he achieved legendary status when in May 1821, along with a band of 100 men, held back for days a force of more than 3,000 Turks led by Omer Vrionis at the pass of Gravia, preventing their descent to the Peloponnese. Estimate: €30,000-50,000.

• The fearless Katsantonis Le héros intrépide Katsantonis also by Theofilos Hadjimichael. The legendary klepht Katsantonis, who was a constant source of inspiration throughout the artist's career, is portrayed at a moment of leisure, possibly after a victorious battle, playing his beloved pandouris in an unspoiled natural environment, possibly the ravine on Mt. Tzoumerka where according to local lore he defeated the troops of Velingekas, Ali Pasha's henchman. Estimate: €22,000-28,000.

The Greek sale is being held in Paris for this first time as part of Bonhams' expansion in France and for the convenience of buyers, most of whom are based in Europe. Although the new venue is a departure from past Greek auctions, it is as ever a collaborative sale put together by Bonhams in London and our associates in Athens, Art Expertise.
Selected highlights from the sale will be on preview in Athens at Amalias 36, Amalias Ave. 10558 from (5/5/2021 – 9/5/2021) and in Paris at Bonhams, 4 rue de la Paix from (14/5/2021 and 17 -18/5/21).