The project is co-funded by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund) through the Operational Program “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning, NSRF 2014-2020″.
Mr. Theodoros jumped out of his sleep in dismay. A bad dream made him sweat with fear. He saw that Siatista had been struck by a terrible epidemic of whitewash that made everything white in its course and threatened his new mansion. Within a few days the sky, the trees, the streets, the houses, the animals and the people had turned white. He was awake now though; he looked around and realized that everything was okay.
– Whew! Thank goodness! It was a dream, he thought. But maybe that was an omen! I have to do something about these while walls… The construction of my mansion is almost complete and I’m very excited, but I don’t want the inside to be a white dull maze as if it’s been hit with a whitewash epidemic. I need color. I need textures…
The next morning he called the craftsmen and explained his problem so that they could find a solution.
The craftsmen reassured him:
– You need not worry, Mr. Theodoros. Our group has the most famous artists. Painters who have painted countless churches and craftsmen who carve marble or wood with skill and passion. We can fill your mansion with colors and designs.
– Ah, excellent idea! I want it everywhere. On the walls, ceilings, furniture, doors and windows. I’m a big fan of art! Let’s say the messia and the magazi, I’d like to decorate them with colorful geometric shapes. And wherever there are wooden surfaces in the mansion, do some elaborate carvings. On the doors, on the windows, on the wardrobes. Fill the mansion with wood carvings. You should decorate the winter room first. It’s very cold. I want bright colors here.
– How about flowers?
– Hmm… Maybe vases of flowers and various fruits. I have brought some beautiful items of great value from abroad. Vases, utensils, pocket watches and items from my office… I’d love to paint them on the walls to remind me of my beloved Europe.
– Perfect! And on the ceilings we’ll have paintings all around on all the floors and in the middle of the ceilings we’ll put wooden arrangements in different shapes and decorations. How do you imagine the upper floor?
– I really like stained glass. So I would like all the skylights to have outlines made of plaster, filled with colored glass. In the main hall, I would want discreet decorations. Be sure to decorate the iconostasis. Above the doors you should add decorative flower garlands like those of the mansions in Europe and Constantinople. I want the bedroom in cheerful colors and beautiful patterns. I’d like it to have something original.
– How about decorating the fireplace with painted glazed tiles?
– That is original! Let me think about it for a bit and get back to you… And now for the hard part… The two large rooms. This is where I welcome all my guests. Everything must be perfect. In addition to the vases with flowersand fruit, you must paint me some landscapes with hills, houses, trees and birds. And I want rich decorations on the fireplace.
– Plaster sculptures on fireplaces are very fashionable. We’ll create two-headed eagles statuettes to ward off the evil eye. It’s the symbol of the Byzantine Empire, so it’ll make the place more majestic.
– I totally agree! Now, in the room across the hall I would like you to leave no surface without painting. Paint flowers, geometric shapes, landscapes and rare objects from corner to corner. I’d also like a clock tower painted here.
– Maybe since it’s going to be the most formal room of all, we should pick a theme? For example, fruits with symbolic meanings. Pomegranates for good luck and watermelons for wealth. On the wall we will use the fresco technique and put plaster frames and plaster details, so that the paintings look embossed.
– Yes! That’s it! Just don’t paint strawberries! I’m allergic to strawberries! I’d like one more thing. I have brought a beautiful engraving of the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos to donate to the church of Agia Paraskevi here in Siatista. Can you somehow transform it to depict my beloved Constantinople? With the Bosphorus Sea and all the beauties of the city, the Hagia Sophia, the gardens, the castles, with ships sailing, birds and fish. Be it all in this engraving of the Vatopedi Monastery, get inspired here.
– Done, Mr. Theodoros. It will all be perfect! We start the day after tomorrow.
Mr. Theodore was very pleased.
– I’m sure the art will transform my mansion, he thought.
And since then, every night he saw only beautiful and blossoming dreams.
EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF KOZANI
Archaeological Museum of Aiani
50150, Aiani Kozani
efakoz [at] culture.gr
The project is co-funded by Greece and the European Union (European Social Fund) through the Operational Program “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning, NSRF 2014-2020″.
