President of Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias and President of Austria Heinz Fischer inaugurated yesterday the exhibition “Hellenic Renaissance: The architecture of Theophil Hansen” held at the Theocharakis Foundation.

The exhibition will last until January 18 and includes more than 180 original drawings (watercolors, crayons etc.) which are mostly originating from Austrian and Danish museums and archives, most works of which have remained unpublished. A number of furniture, objects of gilded bronze, as well as 19th century photos will also be displayed.

Theophil Hansen (1813-1891) was born and educated in Copenhagen. He stayed in Athens for nine years (1837-1846) composing the architectural narrative that characterized Athens in the 19th century; that rendered him the main creator of Athenian Neoclassicism.

In 1859, based on the University building which was created by his brother Christian, he conceived the so-called “Athenian Trilogy”, the complex of the Athens University, Academy and Library, located in the center of Athens. These buildings constitute the most important architectural ensemble of Greece, after the Acropolis.

Hansen also designed the Observatory, Zappeion and a number of unexecuted projects.

A distinct architectural idiom is present in all his works with “retrospective” characteristics which Theophil himself called “Hellenische Renaissance”.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna and the National Art Library of Denmark, under the auspices of the Austrian and Danish Embassy.