VASSILIS GERMENIS (1896-1966) Lot n° 17

Scène des guerres Balkans signé en grec (en bas à gauche) huile sur toile 70 x 90cm (27 9/16 x 35 7/16in). signed in Greek (lower left) oil on canvas Enchanted by Greece's military triumphs during the Balkan Wars, the painter pays homage to King Constantine I (1868-1923), a main protagonist of this Modern Greek epic. As Crown Prince and Inspector-General of the Army, Constantine commanded the Greek forces in the liberation of Thessaloniki and Ioannina during the first Balkan War (1912-1913). When he ascended to the throne following the assassination of his father King George I in 1913, his military prestige stood high and many regarded him with pride and affection as the successor of the last Byzantine Emperor.1 1 See W. Miller, A History of the Greek People (1821-1921), Methuen & Co. editions, London 1922, pp. 141-142.