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Konstantinos Chrestomanos
1867–1911
A central figure in early modern Greek letters, he moved between literature and the stage and is especially remembered for the novel The Wax Doll. His life also included an unusual close connection to Empress Elisabeth of Austria, which later shaped one of his best-known books.
1 Audiobook
Élisabeth de Bavière, Impératrice d'Autriche
by Konstantinos Chrestomanos
About the author
Born in Athens in 1867, Konstantinos Chrestomanos was a Greek writer, critic, and theater man whose work helped shape the cultural life of his time. He is best known today for The Wax Doll (I Kerinia Koukla), a novel first published in 1911 and still widely associated with his name.
Chrestomanos also became known for his relationship with Empress Elisabeth of Austria, often called Sisi. His book about her, usually referred to as The Book of Empress Elisabeth, drew on that experience and added to his literary reputation. Alongside his writing, he was active in the theater, bringing the energy of performance into his broader artistic life.
He died in 1911, the same year The Wax Doll appeared. Though his life was not long, he remains an important presence in modern Greek literature, remembered for elegant prose, emotional intensity, and the way his work links private feeling with the wider world of European culture.