Manolis Hatzidakis

Manolis Chatzidakis (Greek: Μανόλης Χατζηδάκης; 1909 – March 1, 1998) was a Greek Byzantinist. He significantly contributed to the history of art of Greece. He specialized in the field of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine painting. He is considered the 20th century Giorgio Vasari and Bernardo de' Dominici. He was an archeologist, art historian, author, lecturer and curator. He also spoke Arabic and contributed to the field of Islamic art. He helped saved countless artifacts.^[1][2][3]

Chatzidakis was born in Heraklion. He studied at the University of Athens, he graduated in 1933. He received a doctorate in his field of studies. He was associated with Greek industrialist and founder of the Benaki Museum, Antonis Benakis. Benakis offered him a scholarship to study at the École du Louvre in Paris. He studied with world-renowned historians Gabriel Millet and André Grabar. Chatzidakis received a degree in Islamic art from the École du Louvre. He also received another degree in the classical Arabic language at the School of Oriental Languages. Hatzidakis was the curator at the Benaki Museum, and later became the director of the institution. At the same time, he served as director of the Byzantine Museum of Athens. He was also the head of Byzantine Antiquities and General Superintendent of Antiquities.^[4][5]

Chatzidakis was bestowed many awards for his work, namely the Order of the Phoenix and Gold Cross of the Order of George I. He was a member of countless organizations. His most notable contribution to Greek art was in the Greek Biographical Dictionary, and the magisterial Greek Painters after the Fall of Constantinople (1450-1830), in which he covered hundreds of hitherto almost unknown Greek painters from 1450 to 1830. He was a major contributor to uncovering and researching the early Cretan work of El Greco relative to the Cretan School. He helped organize and structure the framework of museums in Greece during the 20th century. He was instrumental in organizing the Hellenic Institute of Venice and the National Hellenic Research Foundation.^[6]