Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 35 works by Georgios Jakobides in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Georgios Jakobides left, the most famous is First Steps (1892), in the collection of the National Gallery, Athens. Close behind it come First Steps (1889) and Grandma's Favourite (1893). Our catalog holds 35 works by Georgios Jakobides; the gallery has kept the 35 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Painted in 1892 by Georgios Jakobides, this captivating artwork beautifully encapsulates a universal and deeply touching moment: a child taking their first steps. A cornerstone of the Munich School’s realistic tradition, the painting offers more than just a depiction of a milestone; it's an intimate portrayal of intergenerational connection, support, and the quiet joy found within domestic life.
Light streams through a rustic window, catching the white fabric of a child's dress. A toddler stands upon a wooden table, testing the gravity of a new world. The air in the room carries the stillness of a Bavarian village home. An elder reaches out, weathered hands providing an anchor for those small, uncertain feet. Nearby, a young girl watches, her presence a quiet shadow in the foreground. The scene…
An elderly woman and a young child sit together at a wooden table, captured in a moment of stillness. The composition is vertical, focusing the viewer's attention on the intimate connection between the two figures within a dimly lit interior. Soft, flowing lines define the woman’s aged features and the folds of her clothing, contrasting with the rounded, youthful contours of the child. The scene is rendered with a subdued,…
Georgios Jakobides rendered this portrait of Pavlos Melas in 1904. The subject was a Greek revolutionary and an artillery officer serving in the Hellenic Army. Melas is presented in formal military attire, capturing the likeness of a man defined by his service during the Macedonian Struggle.
The oil portrait of Queen Olga of Greece, executed in 1915, presents the subject in a three-quarter profile view. She is positioned slightly off-center, with her gaze directed toward a point outside the frame. The lighting originates from the upper left, casting shadows that define the contours of her face and the depth of her garments. The color palette relies on warm, muted tones, specifically creams, golds, deep browns, and…
Potrait of Vassilakis Melas1885
12
At The Studio1884
13
Grassy Field1890
14
The Smoker1886
15
The Smoker1887
16
Reversal of Roles1892
17
The Artist's Wife with Their Son1895
18
The Toilette1893
19
Fragment from the ''Children's Concert''1899
20
Portrait of Young Girl1902
21
The Flower Seller1900
22
Boy Smoking1900
23
Platter with Seashells, Roses, Pearls and Earrings1920
24
Old Age
25
Study of a nude youth
26
Old Lady with Scar on her Cheek
27
Child with Cart
28
Children's concert1900 · National Gallery
29
Cold Shower1898
30
Maternal affection
31
John F. Costopoulos1919
32
King George's Portrait1914
33
Der böse Enkel1884 · Museum Wiesbaden
34
Portrait of Pavlos Melas1915
35
Peek-a-boo
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Georgios Jakobides | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Gallery |
Athens | 2 | First Steps, Children's concert |
 Museum Wiesbaden |
Wiesbaden | 1 | Der böse Enkel |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Light streams through a rustic window, catching the white fabric of a child's dress. A toddler stands upon a wooden table, testing the gravity of a new world. The air in the room carries the stillness of a Bavarian village home. An elder reaches out, weathered hands providing an anchor for those small, uncertain feet. Nearby, a young girl watches, her presence a quiet shadow in the foreground. The scene…
Painted in 1892 by Georgios Jakobides, this captivating artwork beautifully encapsulates a universal and deeply touching moment: a child taking their first steps. A cornerstone of the Munich School’s realistic tradition, the painting offers more than just a depiction of a milestone; it's an intimate portrayal of intergenerational connection, support, and the quiet joy found within domestic life.
Georgios Jakobides rendered this portrait of Pavlos Melas in 1904. The subject was a Greek revolutionary and an artillery officer serving in the Hellenic Army. Melas is presented in formal military attire, capturing the likeness of a man defined by his service during the Macedonian Struggle.
The oil portrait of Queen Olga of Greece, executed in 1915, presents the subject in a three-quarter profile view. She is positioned slightly off-center, with her gaze directed toward a point outside the frame. The lighting originates from the upper left, casting shadows that define the contours of her face and the depth of her garments. The color palette relies on warm, muted tones, specifically creams, golds, deep browns, and…
First Steps (1892), National Gallery, Athens. First Steps (1889) and Grandma's Favourite (1893) come next.
39 years old: First Steps dates from 1892, and Georgios Jakobides was born in 1853.
First Steps, First Steps, Grandma's Favourite, Pavlos Melas, Portrait of Queen Olga of Greece (1851-1926), Girl with Distaff and Spindle, Nikolaos Politis, Student in Munich, The insatiable, Farmhouse in Bavaria and Girl Reading. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 35 works by Georgios Jakobides, dated from 1876 to 1920.
Mostly in National Gallery (Athens) and Museum Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1880s: 10 of the 35 works on this page were made then, First Steps among them.
On this page, the earliest is Girl with Distaff and Spindle (1876) and the latest Platter with Seashells, Roses, Pearls and Earrings (1920).
Girls (3), Children (3) and Domestic scene (2), across the 35 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 5 of the 35 works on this page.
Realism, judging by the originals on this page.
First Steps and Children's concert: the National Gallery, Athens holds 2 of the works on this page.
Georgios Jakobides stands as a monumental figure in the annals of Greek art, a painter whose brush captured the tender nuances of human existence through the rigorous lens of the Munich School. Born in 1853 in Chidira, Lesbos, within the Ottoman Empire, Jakobides’ early life was shaped by a landscape of profound tradition and cultural transition. His journey from the shores of Lesbos to the prestigious studios of Germany is a testament to a relentless pursuit of artistic excellence. After moving to Smyrna as a young boy, his formal education at the Evangelical School instilled in him a humanist foundation that would later breathe soul into his meticulous academic compositions. This early exposure to diverse cultural influences provided the emotional depth that distinguishes his work from mere technical exercises.
The trajectory of Jakobides’ career was irrevocably altered when he traveled to Munich in 1877. Under the tutelage of the legendary Karl Theodor von Piloty, he immersed himself in the heart of German Academic Realism. For seventeen years, Munich served as his creative crucible, a place where he refined his ability to render light, texture, and anatomy with unparalleled precision. His style became a sophisticated blend of classical ideals and a profound observation of contemporary life. Jakobides did not merely paint figures; he captured the very essence of character, utilizing a subdued palette and masterful brushwork to create scenes that felt both timeless and intimately real.
The oeuvre of Georgios Jakobides is characterized by an extraordinary ability to navigate between the grandiosity of mythological themes and the quiet intimacy of genre painting. He possessed a unique gift for portraying the innocence of childhood, often centering his compositions around young subjects to evoke feelings of nostalgia and purity. In works such as 'First Steps', one can witness the tender intersection of familial love and the symbolic weight of human growth, rendered with a realism that feels almost tactile.
His technical mastery extended beyond oil on canvas into the realm of preparatory studies and diverse mediums. His 'Study of a nude youth' reveals a deep fascination with classical form and anatomical accuracy, utilizing the stark contrasts of pencil drawing to explore movement and structure. This same dedication to texture and light is evident in his more domestic scenes, such as 'Grandma's Favourite'. In this piece, Jakobides employs muted tones and rich textures to create an atmosphere of quiet intimacy, where the warmth of familial connection is palpable through every carefully placed stroke of paint.
The hallmarks of his artistic language include:
Beyond his individual achievements as a painter, Georgios Jakobides played a foundational role in the institutionalization of Greek art. His commitment to elevating the standards of painting in his homeland was not merely personal but civic. As a primary figure in the development of the Greek art scene, his influence helped bridge the gap between the traditional aesthetics of the East and the burgeoning modernism of Western Europe. His legacy is inextricably linked to the National Gallery of Greece, an institution that stands as a guardian of the very heritage he helped define.
Jakobides’ death in 1932 marked the end of an era, yet his impact remains vibrant within the halls of museums and the hearts of art historians. He remains a pioneer who proved that realism, when executed with profound empathy and technical brilliance, could transcend the boundaries of time and geography. Through his portraits, his depictions of children, and his mastery of the Munich style, Jakobides continues to offer a window into a world of grace, dignity, and enduring human truth.
