What was Fotis Kontoglou’s relationship with Mount Athos?

– How much did it influence his painting and shape his spiritual quest?

– What influence did it have on his literary pen?

The new exhibition by the Mount Athos Center attempts to shed light on Fotis Kontoglou’s relationship with art and life on Mount Athos through his works and narratives.

His first trip to Mount Athos in 1922–23. His subsequent visits, pilgrimages, wanderings, brotherly relationship with Mount Athos monks in the hermitages of Kausokalyvia, and, above all, his contact with the works of great icon painters such as Manuel Panselinos, Theophanes the Cretan, and Fragos Katelanos, had a decisive influence on the subsequent development of his painting and iconography.

Evidence of his presence in the Athonite State, ink drawings on paper, tempera paintings, hagiographies, letters, publications, personal items, and, above all, heartfelt memories are recorded in the exhibition of the Athonite Estia, which begins on October 23, 2025, in its exhibition space with the valuable cooperation of the following institutions:

Holy Community of Mount Athos ∙ Holy Monastery of Gregory ∙ Holy Skete of the Holy Trinity of Kausokalyvia ∙ National Gallery – Alexander Soutsos Museum ∙ Byzantine and Christian Museum ∙ Library of the Hellenic Parliament ∙ ERT Archive ∙ Teloglion Foundation of Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ∙ Library & Information Center of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ∙ Central Municipal Library of Thessaloniki Lyceum of Greek Women ∙ Families of Panagiotis & Fotis Martinos

In his introductory text to the exhibition catalog, currently in publication, artist Giorgos Kordis notes:

Mount Athos, a journey of a lifetime

Fotis Kontoglou was a major and important figure in the development of modern Greek culture. Not only for his personal achievements in the fields of painting and literature, but also for the inspiration he gave to others, who followed his call to return to tradition to a greater or lesser extent.

Kontoglou influenced the development of ecclesiastical painting like few others, achieving something that few have accomplished in the history of art: he revived a style that had been forgotten for about a century, the so-called Byzantine style, and established it as the appropriate style for painting ecclesiastical icons for the Orthodox Church. Without Fotis Kontoglou, the history of modern Greek art would have been different. [….] The other great experience he gained from his visit to Mount Athos was the discovery of the painting he found mainly in the large katholika. Although he did not leave extensive written references and descriptions, it seems that he was overwhelmed by Byzantine painting, which he saw for the first time in his life in such quantity and quality and which was a revelation to him. His negative impression of Byzantine painting, apparently due to his Western education, was completely overturned. He could not believe that this art existed, which, as he himself says, had works that were “of such artistic wisdom” and “full of such intense rhythm” [….]

Kontoglou saw the Byzantine painting tradition as a valuable legacy that he embraced and did not slavishly copy in a photocopied manner. Thus, while his work clearly references the “schools” and trends of the Byzantine period, it has a distinct personal character, a style all its own, and a beautiful internal evolution and trajectory.

INFORMATION

Duration: 23 October 2025 to 21 March 2026

The official opening of the exhibition will be performed by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Constantine A. Tasoulas, on Sunday, October 26.

Visiting Hours:

Monday, Wednesday: 09.00–16.00

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 09.00–20.00 

Saturday: 09.00–15:00

Last admission 30 minutes before closing time

Sundays: closed

Organized groups, educational school visits upon notification by telephone at 2310263308

Admission Free

MOUNT ATHOS CENTER

Egnatia 109, 546 35 Thessaloniki

Τ. +302310263308 & 2310250648

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