A new look at the history of the artist, to whom the history of art is not very favorable, is about to abandon him State Museum of Art of Denmark (SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst). OUR Carl Bloch (1834-1890) was a superstar of his day, a famous and busy artist, but later critics considered his rich work outdated. But the public never forgot him, as evidenced by some of his SMK paintings, which remain extremely popular. Thus, the National Museum of Denmark is preparing an impressive Bloch retrospective, and our country will also contribute to this organization.

“Dissolved Prometheus”, an impressive four-meter canvas belonging to the collection of paintings of the former royal estate of Tatoi, owned by the Greek state, will soon go to Copenhagen. Export and temporary borrowing of a particular work that has been declared a monument Central Board of New Monuments (KSNM) YPPOAhas been approved, so the painting will be included in a periodical exhibition starting February 11.

The work, in addition to its artistic value, seems to have historical significance for both Greece and Denmark. It was commissioned by George I immediately after his appointment as King of Greece. The young Prince William, when he was informed by the ambassadors of the great powers that the course of his life was changing and instead of a military career he was going to rule in a distant country in the South – which nevertheless had a great ancient history – asked Bloch for a picture on an ancient Greek mythological theme. The artist was especially loved in the royal houses, and he really painted everything – religious images, romantic and comic scenes – with skill and nascent realism in his best works.

Comfort and anticipation

Prometheus Dissolving was painted by Bloch in Rome in 1864 and exhibited in 1865 at the Royal Danish Academy of Arts. For the Danes, the mythological hero freed by Hercules when the latter’s arrow pierces a vulture was a consolation and hope for a better future after their country’s defeat by the mighty Prussia in the Schleswig-Holstein War. But also for the Greeks, who were waiting for a new king, hoping that the young state could expand its borders, this redeemed Prometheus was a hope for rehabilitation.

The work was sent to Greece and placed in the Palace of Athens, where Parliament is today. She exhibited twice more in Denmark, in 1910 and 1932, at the Royal Palace in Copenhagen. After 1932, traces of him were lost. In 2012, it was discovered by the Office for the Preservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments (DSANM) in the area of ​​​​the former Tatoi Palace, and along the way was taken to conservation laboratories.

In addition to the loan, the Danish State Museum has requested permission from the Ministry of the Interior to film the project in Greece in order to produce a documentary film of around 15 minutes that will present its history as well as its conservation process. The short documentary was also intended to explore the connection between Greece and the painting and will be shown in the museum space to promote the exhibition and exclusively by the state-run TV channel DR – Danish Broadcasting Corporation.

Finally, KSNM agreed to film the work of the Danish National Museum film crew only after the monument was moved to Copenhagen. Available audiovisual and photographic materials for the former royal estate, as well as for the project itself and its maintenance work in Athens, will be provided by the Office for the Protection and Restoration of New and Modern Monuments and the Office for the Preservation of Ancient and New Monuments.