Craving to express yourself in a vibrant environment? Welcome to the Athens School of Fine Arts. This is where artistic dreams take flight.
The Athens School of Fine Arts was established in 1837. It began as the School for the Arts. Initially, it had three departments. These included a Crafts School, an Industrial Crafts School and a Fine Arts School. The Fine Arts School is the ancestor of today’s institution. It started daily classes in 1840.
Imagine stepping back in time. Picture the Duchess of Plaisance enriching the school’s program. She introduced new painting lessons. She even brought in the French painter Bonirote. He was a student of Ingres. Bonirote taught oil painting until 1843.
In 1843, the Athens School of Fine Arts became a five-year higher education school. Lissandros Kautantzoglou became director. From 1844 to 1862, neoclassicism influenced the program. Some students became teachers including Nikiphoros Lytras and Nicholaos Gysis.
George Averoff’s donation in 1872 led to a new building on Patission Avenue. It later became the National Technical University of Athens. In 1910, the faculty gained independence from the National Technical University. That year, the Athens School of Fine Arts accepted its first four women.
Nikolaos Lytras became the new Director in 1923. He reorganized the workshops and promoted newer painting styles. Then in 1930, Education Minister Georgios Papandreou revamped the school. He gave it its current name.
Konstantinos Parthenis began teaching in 1929. His lessons focused on visual perception. He explored the plastic transformation of visual information. Costas Dimitriadis, Yannis Kefallinos and Pantelis Prebelakis also taught here.
Since 1947, many famous artists have taught at the Athens School of Fine Arts. These include Yiannis Moralis and Georgios Mauroidis. Constantinos Grammatopoulos and Spyros Papaloukas also taught here. Panayiotis Tetsis and Nikos Kessanlis shared their expertise too. Dimitris Mytaras, Georgios Nikolaidis and Ilias Dekoylakos also contributed. The architect Savvas Kontaratos taught here too. Together they taught the principles of Modern Greek art.
Today, the Athens School of Fine Arts has two departments. There is the Department of Visual Arts which was founded in 1930. Also, there is the Department of Art Theory and History which was founded in 2006. The Department of Fine Arts has painting, sculpture and printmaking divisions.
Many notable alumni have graced the halls of the Athens School of Fine Arts. Vangelis the composer and painter studied here. Sculptors Athanase Apartis and Georgios Bonanos attended. Painters such as Giorgio de Chirico and Alekos Fassianos also studied here.
The Athens School of Fine Arts continues to evolve. It embraces modern artistic expression. It offers students freedom to find their unique voices. From its humble beginnings to its current status the school remains a vital center. It cultivates artistic talent. It shapes the future of Greek art.