George Iakovidis was born in 1853 in Chydira of Lesbos. At age 13, he went to Smyrna, to live with his uncle, a practical architect, and studied at the Evangelical School while working.

From early on, he showed interest in art and especially woodcarving. In 1868, he followed his uncle in Menemeni for two years and in 1870 with the encouragement and financial assistance of Michael Hadjiluca Xylemporia, his uncle's partner's, decided to study sculpture in Athens. In 1870, he enrolled in the School of Arts of Athens (later the School of Fine Arts). His teachers in Athens were the painter Nikiforos Lytras [1] and the sculptor Leonidas Drosis. He was already known for his painting talent when he gradua...