The one and only Greek woman in the “Gallery of Beauties” in Munich, from now on has her permanent place in Athens.
The famous portrait of Katerina (“Rosa”) Botsari, a work by the leading German painter Joseph Karl Stieler, has been on display in Athens, at the Philhellenism Museum.
The unveiling of the portrait of the 19th-century Greek beauty Katerina (Rosa) Botsari, daughter of the glorious fighter Markos Botsaris, took place in March 2025 at the Philhellenism Museum, in the presence of descendants of the Souliot Botsaris family and H.E. German Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Andreas Kindl.
The eventful life of the daughter of the Greek fighter Markos Botsaris
Markos Botsaris’ daughter, Rosa, sealed the history of the 19th century with the unparalleled beauty of her appearance as a mostly admired woman throughout Europe, as well as the first Greek Court Lady in the service of Queen Amalia.
Rosa, a nickname she received from the characteristic rosy color of her cheeks and lips, became the protégé of Queen Amalia, and a rare variety of Danask rose species was named after her in constant remembrance of the beauty and freshness of her youth.
Stieler’s two unique artworks in Munich and Athens
The figure of Rosa painted in 1841 by the leading German painter Joseph Karl Stieler (1781-1858), re-established the dialogue for the promotion of European cultural heritage.
The portrait of Rosa was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in order to be included in the “Gallery of Beauties” at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, which nowadays functions as a museum. The Nymphenburg Archives evidence that the artist created two identical copies, a common practice for important portraits of the time.
The Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SPH) and the Philhellenism Museum in Athens acquired the work in December 2024 with the aim of incorporating Rosa’s physique in the collection of a Greek museum, and highlighting her life and family history that implies a deep connection with this of Philhellenism.
This second existing portrait, of even higher value than the first, came back to public view after 42 years, as it had remained in a private collection since it was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1983 in London. The Philhellenism Museum acquired the work by purchase, setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a work by the famous German portraitist Stieler.
The ongoing cultural dialogue between Greece and Germany
During the inauguration of the portrait in Greece, the founder and president of the Philhellenism Museum, Constantinos Velentzas, underlined the strong bonds between the two countries: “Ludwig I of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach was a Philhellene, a fanatical Hellenist, a collector and a friend of the arts. During his reign, Munich rose to prominence artistically with the construction of many neoclassical and neo-humanist buildings, modeled on the architecture of ancient Greece. One of these is the Propylaea of Munich, the only monument internationally dedicated to the Revolution of 1821. Markos Botsaris, who was identified in international public opinion with Leonidas of Sparta, is the central figure who inspired Philhellenic art and Philhellenism internationally.”
The German Ambassador to Greece, Andreas Kindl, expressed his great pleasure and happiness that this major work of art will now be in Athens as well, stating in fluent Greek that “more than 400,000 people visit the “Gallery of Beauties” in Munich every year. The portraits of the Gallery were created by Louis with the aim of representing the ideal of beauty of the time and Rosa Botsari was the only Greek woman among them”. Moreover, he jokingly noted “Today we would say that Rosa was the Miss Greece of the 19th century!”, pleasantly surprising those who attended the ceremony.
The unveiling of the painting was carried out by the young Rosa Botsari, daughter of Kitsos Botsaris, grand-nephew and descendant of Markos Botsaris. Rosa spoke publicly for the very first time about her ancestor, revealing the charm that Rosa even exerted on Washington’s nephew, who was longing her to become his wife – although he did not succeed to make so.
Given the historical, cultural and artistic interest of the existence of the painting in both countries, the formation of programmes and synergies between the Nymphenburg Museum in Munich and the Philhellenism Museum in Athens will be announced soon.
For information: info@phmus.org
