Lanza Vicenzo

Italian in origin, he studied painting at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts where, after his graduation, he worked for a time as an assistant to the Chair of Perspective. After the failure of the Italian revolt against the Austrians in 1848, in which he took part, he took refuge as a political exile first in Patras and two years later, Athens. For his contribution to the struggles for his homeland he was later awarded the silver decoration of the Savior and three Italian medals.

With the backing of Queen Amalia, he decorated her country residence while, at the command of Othon, he completed the iconography of the Russian church, which had been begun by Ludwig Thiersch and Nikephoros Lytras. For his work the Tsar of Russia Alexander II awarded him the Gold Medal. He was also commissioned by Othon for the painting The Army Camp at Thebes which established him as a painter, and he decorated the ceiling of the ceremonial hall of the University of Athens. From 1863 to 1901 he taught Perspective, Stage Design, Elementary Drawing and Decorative Design at the School of Arts and painting at the Evelpidon (Military Cadet) School.

In 1859 he took part in the Olympia Exhibition and participated again in 1870, winning the silver medal. At the same exhibition in 1888 he was awarded the bronze medal. He also took part in the International Exhibition at Paris in 1867 as well as exhibitions at the Parnassos Hall and was a member of many critical committees.
Employing water color for the most part, he depicted archaeological sites and monuments, establishing this as a special kind of landscape painting. In his work academic, classicistic principles coexist with a more realistic approach and colors are rendered with particular sensitivity.