Prometheus Unbound in Chios

The Chios Mastic Museum presents the exhibition “Prometheus Unbound in Chios”, from July 5, 2025 to October 31, 2025.

The monumental painting by Danish artist Carl Bloch, depicting the Titan Prometheus released from his bondage with the help of Hercules, traveled beyond Athens to Chios as its sole destination before it is permanently exhibited in the Mansion at the Tatoi Estate.

The work, commissioned by the young King Georgios I on the occasion of his accession to the throne in 1863, was created in 1864 in Rome and was brought to Greece in order to decorate the staircase of the old palace (today it houses the Hellenic Parliament). It is considered one of the most impressive paintings created for Greece in the 19th century. Its great appeal to the public of its time established Bloch's reputation as a major Danish painter.

This is a masterpiece with an eventful history, as it was impossible to find for many decades, leading many to believe that it had been lost. However, in 2012, the artwork was discovered during works in Tatoi by the Directorate of Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture. Ten years later, it was designated a cultural heritage monument and was presented in a retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Denmark (2023) and to the Greek public at the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum (2024).