Jean-Gabriel Eynard

On the initiative of the National Bank of Greece and at the expense of Eynard's widow Anna Eynard-Lullin, in 1866, the bust of Eynard was commissioned to Ioannis Kossos, one of the greatest Greek sculptors of the time, a pupil of the German classicist sculptor Christian Siegel. The bust is located in the Athens National Garden, then called the Royal Garden. Jean-Gabriel Eynard (1775-1863) was a Swiss philhellene, a banker and a great benefactor of the Greek Nation. Eynard’s bust is the first monument in honour of a philhellene to be erected in a public space in Athens and stands on a high column about two metres high. The bust depicts Eynard at a relatively young age, wearing an ancient costume, and the column reads in Greek: “Jean G. Eynard Benefactor of Greece”. On the side of the bust are the artist details, the year of the bust’s creation and a reference to the donation of Eynard widow.