Pavlos Kountouriotιs (1844-1894) born in Hydra in 1855, came from the wealthy seafaring Kountouriotes family. He enlisted in the Hellenic Royal Navy in 1874 and took part in the Greek-Turkish conflicts of 1886 and the war of 1897.

He became a legendary historical figure for his participation in the Balkan Wars as a Rear Admiral, Commander of the Fleet, who liberated the islands of the Aegean, and from his flagship, the Battleship G.Averof,  Kountouriotis  directed  the  naval battles of Elli and Limnos, thanks to which the Ottoman fleet was forced to retreat.

During the First World War, he was assigned the Ministry of Naval  Affairs,  though  later  on  he  sided  with  Venizelos  and participated as a member of the Government of Thessaloniki.

In 1920 and 1923 he undertook the duties of Viceroy, and in 1924 he was elected as the first President of the Hellenic Republic.

The original painting is on display in the Floating Naval Museum Battleship “Georgios Averof”.