The Baroque and Rococo period, which in Europe is marked by the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, finds Greece under Ottoman rule and essentially cut off from the artistic and intellectual developments of the rest of Europe. However, Greek regions outside Ottoman control (such as the Venetian-ruled Ionian Islands), as well as Greek communities in major European cities, participated in the European cultural scene and became centers of the Modern Greek Enlightenment. The most emblematic figure of this movement was Adamantios Korais (1748–1833), born into a merchant family from Smyrna. After studying in Amsterdam and Montpellier and settling in Paris, Korais played a leading role in transmitting the ideals of the Enlightenment to the Greek nation. He edited the publication of works of ancient Greek literature and published scientific, philological, theological, and political treatises. Many of his views played a decisive role in shaping the identity and ideology of the newly established Greek state. His portrait on the coin is surrounded by decorative motifs inspired by church icon screens of the Ionian Islands.