Although Gordon’s activity in the Greek Revolution was short, he was the first English philhellene to join the Greek forces. He chartered and equipped at his own expense a ship in Marseilles, with which he transported fighters to Greece.
A disappointed lieutenant general
According to the rules of international sculptural language, when a sculpture depicts a man (usually a warrior) on a horse, the posture of the horse’s legs reveals the manner in which the rider died. Specifically, when both front legs are in the air it means that the horseman was killed in battle. When one foot is in the air and the other is on the ground it means that he died later but from injuries sustained in battle. When all four feet are on the ground it means that he died of natural causes. In the case of the sculpture of Theodoros Kolokotronis, one front leg of the horse and one back leg do not step on the ground. This should mean that the rider died in time after the battle, but due to battle wounds. However, this does not correspond to reality as it is known that Kolokotronis died many years later. He died of a stroke, two days after his son’s wedding and after a big dance he attended at the palace. So all four horses’ feet should be on the ground. The reason why the creator of the sculpture did not follow the rules is probably because he was not so much interested in showing how the general died, but to be able to capture his momentum through a kinetic pose of man and horse.
13, Stadiou St., (Palia Vouli Square)
sculptor: Lazaros Sochos
material: Bronze