Nikiforos Lytras (1832, Pyrgos, Tinos – June 13, 1904, Athens) was one of the greatest Greek painters of the 19th century. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the Munich School and has been a pioneer in shaping the teaching of Fine Arts in Greece.
He studied painting at the School of Arts (1850-1856), the later Athens High School of Fine Arts, with the brothers Philippos and Georgios Margaritis, the monk Agathangelo Triantafyllou, the Italian Raffaelo Ceccoli, and the German Head of the School, Ludwig Thiersch. He then studied with fellowships from King Otto and Baron Simon Sina at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich (1860-1865). His teacher there was Karl von Piloty, the foremost representative of the realistic school in Germany.