Artist: Ioannis Notaras
Location: Eleftherias square, Nicosia. Nicosia district
Material: Marble
Dimensions: > 2 meters
Category: Union (énosis), Public Figures, Public sculpture before 1960
Photography: Evangelia Matthopoulou
Katalanos was Greek but lived in Cyprus for many years being a firm supporter of enosis (union) with Greece ideology. He was an educator, a journalist and a publicly active figure. The initiative for the bust was taken in 1954 by an ad hoc private committee of Katalanos’ colleagues and students from the Pan-Cypriot high school (Pankyprio Gymnasium).
The bust is standing on a tall, fluted column, upon on a square basis. Both were sculpted in Greece. Although they were finished by the end of 1955, their shipment to Cyprus was delayed notably, possibly because of the political upheavals due to EOKA 1955-59 struggles. The unveiling took place on September 25th 1960 and became an occasion for nationalist celebrations.
Selected sources:
~ Kypros), May 24, 1954, p. 1.
~ Kypros), January 1, 1959, p. 4.
~ Haravgi, September 27, 1960, p. 2.
~ Matthopoulou, Evangelia. 2012. «Μνημεία, Προτομές και Ανδριάντες στο Δήμο Λευκωσίας» (“Monuments, busts and statues in Nicosia Municipality”), Φιλολογική Κύπρος 2009-2011 (Philoloyiki Kypros 2009-2011), Nicosia: Hellenic Intellectual Association of Cyprus.
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