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Caterina Reclaimed: A Monumental Frieze from the Cornaro Family Palace to the CVAR – Costas & Rita Severis FoundationA lecture by Dr Georgios E. Markou – 19 March 2026, 18:30
A major recent acquisition by the Severis Foundation has brought to light an extraordinary group of five paintings narrating the life of Caterina Cornaro (1454-1510), the last Queen of Cyprus. This remarkable ensemble, of considerable historical and artistic importance, offers new insight into the visual construction of her queenship and legacy. On 19 March 2026, Dr Georgios E. Markou will present these works to the public for the first time in a dedicated lecture exploring their historical context, artistic significance, and political meaning.
In his lecture, Dr Markou will introduce the paintings and analyse their narrative sequencing, iconographic program, and stylistic characteristics within the broader framework of Venetian artistic production at the turn of the sixteenth century. He will explore how the cycle constructs queenship through gesture, setting, and symbolic detail, and how it negotiates themes of power, diplomacy, abdication, and memory. Presenting initial findings on attribution, workshop practice, and patronage strategies, Dr Markou will also address the historical conditions under which the cycle was conceived and displayed. The lecture will conclude by outlining future research directions, including archival investigation, technical examination, and conservation priorities, opening new perspectives on the intersection of art, politics, and dynastic identity between Venice and Cyprus.
The lecture will be held in English.
Admission free
Georgios E. Markou is Assistant Professor of the History of Art in the Department of Fine Arts at the Cyprus University of Technology. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2018 with a dissertation on Cypriot patrons in Renaissance Venice; this research, which repositions Eastern Mediterranean elites within the broader narrative of Venetian Renaissance art, forms the basis of his forthcoming monograph expected in 2026. He subsequently held postdoctoral appointments at Princeton University (2018-19), the British School at Rome (2019-21), and the University of Cambridge (2021-23). Dr Markou has published widely on Venetian art; his article on Bonifacio de’ Pitati’s Triumphs of Petrarch was the first study to introduce Cypriot patrons of Renaissance art into international academic discourse, and his forthcoming publications include studies on El Greco’s Greek marginalia, as well as new research on Jusepe de Ribera and Artemisia Gentileschi.
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Event Venue
CVAR - Severis Foundation, The Shoe Factory, Οδός Ερμού, 1017 Λευκωσία, Κύπρος, Nicosia, Cyprus
Tickets
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