George Petrides, a sculptor of Greek birth, selected six historical periods that are important to Greece’s heritage, combining extensive research with his own family members to pose for the six busts. On their bases, these sculptures stand over 2 meters tall. The six periods are:

• Classical Greece: 510 BC to 323 BC

• Byzantine Empire: 330 AD to 1453 AD 

• Greek War of Independence: 1820s 

• Asia Minor Catastrophe: 1920s

• Nazi Occupation, Holocaust, Civil War: 1940s 

• The Present 

Petrides conducted rigorous research before sculpting each bust, including archaeological artifacts, academic sources, family stories, and historical photographs. Petrides sought out sculptural precedents for each period to study how they addressed similar themes, selecting one or two pieces to serve as touchstones. Then, he asked a family member to pose for him, some “live” and others, who had passed, through photographs and memory.