Konstantinos Parthenis

A new fake work of prominent Greek painter Konstantinos Parthenis has been identified during a technical inspection in Thessaloniki at the request of its owner who is a collector.

It is an unsigned painting titled "Three Female Figures in a Seaside Landscape," which the owner bought from an heir of the painter, Nikolaos Parthenis.

A painting by Konstantinos Parthenis of the Virgin Mary and Child, combining a sense of piety with fluid Art Nouveau forms, looks over Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as he works on the puzzle of governance at his desk. "It's the Virgin, in a modern version. This painting could be said to encompass the history of modern Greece," he remarks.

The Greek National Gallery (nationalgallery.gr) presents 150 pieces from its comprehensive collection on post-impressionist pioneer Konstantinos Parthenis (1878-1967) in an ongoing show that has been extended due to popular demand.