The pictorial decoration of the Sinaean Academy of Athens

The main subject of this study is the pictorial, painted, and sculptural decoration of the building of the Academy of Athens, in the conception and iconographic program of which the contribution of Theophil Hansen was decisive.

The study presents in detail the painted decoration of the great assembly hall, where episodes from the life of the ingenious Prometheus — creator and benefactor of humankind — are depicted. It then examines the sculptural decoration of the pedimental compositions on the exterior of the building, in which the figure of the goddess Athena dominates as the protector of the arts, learning, and sciences.

The research concludes with an exploration of the iconographic presence of Athena and Prometheus as spiritual symbols throughout the world and across the centuries, from Antiquity to the present day.

Through the presentation of the entire visual decoration, the history of the very building of the Academy of Athens unfolds, as well as that of the individuals who played a decisive role in the construction of this supreme intellectual institution of the modern Greek state.