Exhibition honors Scanderbeg’s death anniversary

TIRANA, Jan.17- The Ministry of Culture and the National Gallery of Arts have opened an exhibition that honors the 540th anniversary of the death of national hero Gjergj Kastriot Sk쯤erbeu. The exhibition is entitled “Scanderbeg In Visual Arts” and will have 22 works of art including paintings and sculptures. Albanian artists have always been fascinated with the figure of the national hero whom they have usually portrayed in battle scenes radiating what is believed to have been his main virtues of bravery and courage, leadership and strength. The first compositions were those of Spiro Xega, Zef Kolombi, Simon Rrota, and others. Some of the works that will be shown are from the end of the 19th century, such as the work of Anastas Ballam詠(1889) and the beginning of the 20th century, the bronze work of Murat Toptani (1917), with only two copies existing. The very first exhibition honoring Gjergj Kastriot Sk쯤erbeu was organized in 1968. The exhibition is under the direction of Head of the Studies sector, Ylli Drishti.