Imagining Modern Greece: Mesologgi, Philhellenism and Art in the 19th century

Abstract

Renowned as the site of Byron’s death, and the centre of war operations in western mainland Greece during the Greek War of Independence, Mesologgi duly became a focus of Philhellene propaganda in the revolt against Ottoman rule. Yet it can be argued that commentary on the artistic manifestations of this discourse has overlooked the coherence of the iconography of revolutionary Mesologgi and has understated its role in underpinning Greek nationalist ideology. This thesis analyses how Philhellene images of Mesologgi advocated for the worthiness of the Greek insurgency in seeking Western support, and elevated the town as an emblem of the revolution of 1821 on a global scale. Foremost among th..