ROME – Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias inaugurated an exhibit at Vatican City on Monday evening devoted to the modern history of Greek painting.

The exhibit, “Community of People – The representation of the human form, from the post-Byzantine era to contemporary Greek painting,” contains 66 works from the National Gallery of Art/Alexander Soutzos Museum in Athens, other Greek museums, private collections, and foundations.

It is being held at the Palazzo della Cancelleria, in the historic center of Rome, and will remain open to the public until December 8.

“This year, two landmark events coincide,” Dendias said, “the centennial of the Greek Revolution, and the 40th-plus anniversary of diplomatic relations between Greece and the Holy See (1980).” This, he noted, was an opportunity for the first exhibit of National Gallery works in the Holy See, and it opens one month before the expected visit of Pope Francis to Greece.

“Europe is called on to make difficult decisions that should focus on solidarity and humanity,” the Greek minister said, adding that Greece and the Holy See should collaborate on protecting Christian populations in risky areas and monuments of global cultural and Christian heritage.

Helping with the exhibit was the Greek Embassy in the Holy See, while fundin/works came from the Bank of Greece, several foundations (Antonios E. Komninos, Aikaterini Laskaridis, Athanasios K. Laskaridis, Ioannis S. Latsis, Maria Tsakos, A.G. Leventis), and the Angelakos (Hellas) shipping company.

Later the same day, Dendias was scheduled to attend a working dinner with representatives of Italian businesses active in Greece.

(ANA-MPA/Th. Andreadis-Syggelakis)