Monastery on the Island of Santorini, Greece

Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (1872-1938) . Oil painting on board, Monastery on Island of Santorini, Greece by Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark (1872-1938). A large flat terrace on the left with a seated monk on the right is a massive flying buttress supporting a wall which dominates the right of the painting, behind the buttress is an open bell tower with two rows of bells; through the arch of the buttress and a large part of the left portion of the painting is taken up with a blue cloudless sky.The Island of Thera or Santorini is the most important of the Southern Sporades and the most southerly of the island included in the name of the Cyclades. The island is a huge volcano, the centre of which disappeared in a terrific explosion in prehistoric times. Today it is in the form of a crescent, and in the middle of the lagoon are the Kaimeni (‘Burnt’) Islands still actively volcanic. The mining of pumice ash is the island’s main industry. Apart from two wells the island is waterless. The ruins of the ancient site of Thera date from 300 to 145 BC. Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire (Accredited Museum)