Lot 16: Johannes Rabe , German b. 1827 Kotzia Square, Athens oil on canvas

signed and dated 1847 lower left oil on canvas

32.5 by 42.5cm., 12¾ by 16¾in.

Private Collection, Athens

Plateia Kotzia or Kotzia Square is one of the main public squares of Athens, traditionally used as a meeting point for the city-dwellers for celebrations, protests and events of all kinds. It comprises many neo-classical buildings which today house modern institutions such as the National Bank, the City Hall and the Melas Mansion that houses MIET (The Cultural Foundation of the National Bank). This contemporary building, designed by the architect Mario Botta, displays the remains of the old city walls and an archaeological site revealing Athens' ancient water system. Plateia Kotzia is intrinsically linked to the history of the Greek National Bank. The Bank was based in Sofocleous Street from March 1842 to June 1845, moving to Aiolou Street thereafter. The area in front of the bank's premises in Aiolou Street in the late 1840s was empty apart from a natural ravine and was used as a practice area by the King's Artillery Army. As years went by, the empty space was planted over with trees and was gradually transformed into a proper square. For over one hundred years, it was called Plateia Loudovikou, after King Ludwig I of Bavaria. In the early 1960s it was re-named Plateia Kotzia, after one of Athens' mayors.