Artwork
History of the Siege of Lisbon

History of the Siege of Lisbon is an unspecified painting by the Contemporary Realist artist Christos Giannopoulos. It dates from 2006 and is held in the collection of the Athens School of Fine Arts.
About this work
You see a tall painting filled with soldiers, ships, and smoke. It looks like a book cover made real. The scene shows Lisbon under attack in 1147.
The artist painted it in 2006. He based it on a novel by José Saramago. Saramago won the Nobel Prize for his writing.
Look up the Museum of Ethnography to see this unusual book cover art.
Overview
This 2006 oil painting visually interprets the cover of José Saramago's novel, 'The History of the Siege of Lisbon'. The large-scale work translates the book's theme into a dynamic scene.
Subject & Meaning
Depicting Lisbon under attack in 1147, the painting reflects the novel's exploration of historical events and their narrative interpretations. Soldiers, ships, and smoke dominate the composition, evoking the chaos of siege warfare.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting's style blends detailed representation with expressive brushwork, capturing the intensity of the depicted battle. Its vertical orientation and dense composition mimic the format of a book cover enlarged to monumental scale.
History & Provenance
Created in 2006, the painting is inspired by Saramago's literary work. The artist's choice of subject honors the Nobel Prize-winning author's influence. Currently, the piece is housed at the Museum of Ethnography.
Context
While Saramago's novel reexamines historical narratives, the painting translates this theme into visual terms, engaging with both literary and historical contexts. The artwork's placement in a museum setting further contextualizes it within broader cultural heritage.
Legacy
As an unusual intersection of literature and visual art, the painting contributes to the multidisciplinary appreciation of Saramago's work. Its presence in the Museum of Ethnography may also reflect the evolving boundaries between ethnographic and artistic exhibitions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christos Giannopoulos made two large works in 2006: a painting called History of the Siege of Lisbon and a metal sculpture titled Rebetiko.










