, ▁att ending ▁classes ▁taught ▁by ▁Lud ov ico ▁Li pp ar ini , ▁who ▁first ▁suggested ▁that ▁Ts ok os ▁concent rate ▁on ▁port ra its ▁and ▁history ▁painting . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁he ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁public ▁exhibition ▁at ▁the ▁Acc adem ia ▁di ▁Belle ▁Ar ti ▁di ▁Venez ia . ▁ ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁Greece ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Ath ens , ▁where ▁he ▁created ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁popular ▁paint ings ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence ▁and ▁the ▁years ▁immediately ▁after . ▁From ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁to ▁paint ▁port ra its ▁of ▁many ▁prominent ▁personal ities , ▁including ▁profess ors ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ath ens . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁professor ▁of ▁design ▁and ▁painting ▁at ▁the ▁" Ar s ake io ", ▁a ▁school ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁" So ci ety ▁for ▁Education ". ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁held ▁a ▁major ▁exhibition ▁of ▁his ▁port ra its ▁at ▁the ▁Ath ens ▁School ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁under ▁myster ious ▁circumstances ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁the ▁year ▁that ▁King ▁Otto ▁was ▁over th rown . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁commission ▁to ▁produce ▁port ra its ▁of ▁hero es ▁from ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence . ▁The ▁finished ▁port ra its ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Gallery .