A monumental painting by Greek modernist Constantinos Parthenis has become the most expensive 20th-century Greek artwork ever sold at auction after fetching €1 million in Paris. The celebrated painting, “Poetry (Annunciation)”, sold during Bonhams’ Greek Sale in Paris following an intense bidding battle that lasted around 10 minutes.

The Painting's Journey

The final price climbed to approximately €1.25 million including fees, significantly exceeding the artwork’s pre-sale estimate of between €300,000 and €500,000. Painted in the late 1950s, “Poetry (Annunciation)” is regarded as one of Parthenis’ most important late-period works and is also the largest canvas by the artist ever to appear at auction. The painting gained renewed public attention after being featured prominently in a major 2022 retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Greece in Athens.

The Artist and His Legacy

Born in 1878, Parthenis is widely considered one of the leading figures of modern Greek painting. He blended symbolism, Byzantine artistic traditions, and European modernist influences into a distinctive visual language that shaped generations of Greek artists. His work remains deeply associated with the cultural continuity of Hellenism and Greece’s artistic identity in the modern era. According to Terpsichori Angelopoulou, director of Art Expertise and Bonhams’ representative for the Greek art market, the painting embodies the defining characteristics of Parthenis’ work. “It has all the defining characteristics of Parthenis – a sense of elevation, idealism and references to both ancient Greece and Byzantium that suggest the continuity of Hellenism,” she said.

The record-breaking sale highlights growing international interest in Greek art and the increasing value of major works by Greek modernist painters on the global market.