Thomas Jefferson
A sculptural portrait by George Petrides
Donated to the U.S. Department of State for the Ambassador’s residence, marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Sculpture completed and collected for shipment; installation pending. Delivery notes.
Jefferson was the first Secretary of State. His correspondence with Adamantios Korais connects the portrait to Greece’s own struggle for independence.
Watch the installation animationThe next step is for the Embassy’s facilities team to coordinate base preparation and installation timing with George Petrides.
Current Status
| 16 October 2026 | Sculpture has been completed and picked up by the shipper. |
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| 23 October 2026 | This website completed, gathering together all information needed for installation, records and future care. |
Remaining as of 23 October
| 1 | Shipper to complete transport to Athens; security clearance by the Embassy. |
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| 2 | Embassy to confirm the recommended placement (inside the gate from Panagi Kyriakou Street). |
| 3 | Review of the suggested construction by Embassy staff and engineer. |
| 4 | Order the plaque and have it shipped to Athens. |
| 5 | Landscaping team to clear the area. |
| 6 | Construction of the base, as suggested or as modified by staff and engineer. |
| 7 | Installation of the sculpture on the base (let George Petrides know if you would like him to be present for attaching the sculpture to the base). |
| 8 | Landscaping team to design and finish the landscaping and paving around the sculpture. |
| 9 | Dedication event. |
Who does what
| U.S. Embassy, Athens | Transport to Athens and security clearance; the location decision; plaque text approval and ordering; engineering review; base construction by the local contractor; lighting, facilities and security approvals; installation; final landscaping; the dedication event. |
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| Petrides Public Sculpture | The base specification and the construction guidance on this website; confirming the base location on site before excavation; help with installation in Athens at no charge, including confirming the sculpture’s orientation and completing the final surface touch-ups; object documentation (signature and marks, dated condition report). |
Costs
George Petrides has donated the sculpture. As set out in the briefing of 11 August 2026, the Embassy bears the other project costs: transport from New York to Athens, base construction, plaque fabrication, lighting, landscaping and any dedication event. George Petrides’s help with the installation in Athens is at no charge.
Timeline
| April 2026 | Donation documents executed with the U.S. Embassy, Athens. |
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| June–July 2026 | Embassy staff and George Petrides study the site at Jefferson House. |
| 11 August 2026 | Project briefing issued: rationale, sculpture, locations, base, plaque and sequence of work. |
| 14 August 2026 | Base construction guidance issued. |
| September 2026 | Sculpture completed in the New York studio. |
| 15 October 2026 | Completed sculpture photographed in the studio. |
| 16 October 2026 | Sculpture collected from the New York studio, as arranged by the Embassy. |
| 23 October 2026 | This website completed as the single reference for installation, records and future care. |