Lykourgos Logothetis.
Friedal, Adam de
John Logotheti. "John Logotheti Senator of the Executive Body in Greece". London
" In course of Publication in London by A. Friedal & sold by the principal book & printsellers in town & Country." June 1826
Black & white lithograph portrait of John' Lykourgos' Logothetes from the second edtion of Friedals "
Series of Greek Portraits (2nd part)" verso blank.
The portrait bust, shows Logothetis, seated holding a document and spectacles. Printed signature in Greek.
Logothetis real name Georgios Paplomatas was born in Samos in 1772; after studying in Constantinople he moved to Wallachia where he became secratary to Constantine Ypsilantisand later to to Alexander Soutsos as Logotheti. Eventually returned to Constaninople and finally to Samos, but due to polical fights was forced in to, exile on Mont Athos. He was to return after 6 years, but again fell foul of his opponents and was condemned to death; escaping to Smyna where he joined the Filiki Eteria. In 1821 at the start of the Greek revolution Lycurgus returned to Samos, where residents welcomed him as savior and declared him a political and military leader of the island. His military and organizational skills resulted in the successful repulse of three raids against Samos in 1821, 1824 and 1826. He was also part of the failed rebellion on neighbouring Chios in March 1822.
After the success of the Greek revolution. In 1828, the island became formally incorporated into the Hellenic State under Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias, as part of the province of the Eastern Sporades, but the London Protocol of 1830 excluded Samos from the borders of the independent Greek state.
The Samians refused to accept their re-subordination to the Sultan, and Logothetis declared Samos to be an independent state, governed as before under the provisions of the 1821 constitution. Finally, due to the pressure of the Great Powers, Samos was declared an autonomous, tributary principality under Ottoman suzerainty. The Samians still refused to accept this decision until an Ottoman fleet enforced it in May 1834, forcing the revolutionary leadership and a part of the population to flee to independent Greece, where they settled near Chalkis. Logothetis moved to Athens where he was honoured by the Greek State and became a Senator. He died in 1850. Clean and bright; light spoting.
Adam [de] Friedal,
there is much confusion about Friedal's origins, He is supposed to be a Danish Phihellene and apparently passed himself off as a Baron.
St Clair tells us that Friedal carried a lithographic press on his back whilst in Greece where he seems to have been between 1821-24.. He was at Missolonghi for a while with Lord Byron and married the sister of one of Byron's artificers, John Hodges. Byron wrote a letter introducing Friedal to the notice of the London Greek Commitee. Friedal returned and settled in London and produced his first portrait of Mavrocordato dated September 1824.
"
The Greeks. Twenty-four Portraits (In Four Parts Of Six Portraits Each,) of the Principal Leaders and Personages Who Have Made Themseves Most Conspicuous in the Greek Revolution.." 1st edition 1824.
thereafter there are a number of editions, with differences to the portraits. The portraits in the 1st Edition, probably after Friedal's original drawings are fairly primitive, with each new edition they became more refined.
A second edition of the first 2 parts was issued in 1826. Some of these plates are marked 'second edition', others merely have anew date on the plate surface. In most cases a completely new portrait replaces that of the previous ediion; parts 3 & 4 are unchanged.
In 1827 two editions appeared with the imprint "London and Paris, 1827", some on India paper. one in which the portraits had no, or a very simple background, the other with full complex backgrounds. A French edition appeared the same year.
In 1828-9 Dean & Munday brought out another series of Friedal plates, some but not all marked 'fourth edition', their most distinguishing feature being that they are full length.
They re- issued a number of plates in 1830, marked fifth and sixth edition. There exist wrappers for a 'sixth edition 'appearing in 1832. [Navari].
Navari/ Blackmer: 633; Sotheby's/Blackmer:606; 450 by 316mm (17¾ by 12½ inches)full page
ref: 1918
€400