07 works, Today, August 31st, is the Cincture of the Theotokos' day, it"s story illustrated #243

Unknown artist

The Cincture (Sash) and the Most Holy Mother of God

I have no further description, at this time

The Cincture of the Theotokos is an alleged relic of the Theotokos (Blessed Virgin Mary), now in the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, which is venerated by some members of the Orthodox Church. The word "cincture" (Greek: zone) is sometimes also translated as "belt", "sash" or "girdle". It is the Orthodox equivalent of the Girdle of Thomas in the Western church, and the Syriac Holy Girdle.

El Greco, (1541–1614) 

Dormition of the Virgin, before 1567

Tempera and gold on panel

61.4 × 45 cm (24.1 × 17.7 in)

Holy Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin, Ermoupoli, Syros, Greece

Doménikos Theotokópoulos (1541 – 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco; Spanish for "The Greek", was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. The nickname "El Greco" refers both to his Greek origin and Spanish citizenship. The artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters.

 

El Greco was born in Crete, which was at that time part of the Republic of Venice, and the center of Post-Byzantine art. He trained and became a master within that tradition before traveling at age 26 to Venice, as other Greek artists had done. In 1570 he moved to Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of Mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance. In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain, where he lived and worked until his death. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings.

 

El Greco's dramatic and expressionistic style was met with puzzlement by his contemporaries but found appreciation in the 20th century. El Greco is regarded as a precursor of both Expressionism and Cubism, while his personality and works were a source of inspiration for poets and writers. El Greco has been characterized by modern scholars as an artist so individual that he belongs to no conventional school. He is best known for tortuously elongated figures and often fantastic or phantasmagorical pigmentation, marrying Byzantine traditions with those of Western painting. More on El Greco

According to the Sacred Tradition of the Orthodox Church, at the time of her Dormition, the Theotokos was buried by the Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem. 

Unknown artist

The Apostles carried her bier in procession and sang with the angels

I have no further description, at this time

Three days later, Thomas the Apostle, who had been delayed and unable to attend the funeral, arrived and asked to have one last look at the Virgin Mary. When he and the other apostles arrived at Mary's Tomb, they found that her body was missing. 

Unknown artist

The Virgin Mary appeared at that time and gave her belt (cincture) to the Apostle Thomas

I have no further description, at this time

Unknown artist

The Appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to

Sts. Monica and Thomas handing over

the cincture

I have no further description, at this time

According to some accounts, the Virgin Mary appeared at that time and gave her belt (cincture) to the Apostle Thomas. 

Unknown artist

The Placing of the Cincture (Sash) of the Mother of God

I have no further description, at this time

The Placing of the Venerable Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos in a church of Constantinople’s Chalcoprateia district took place during the reign of the emperor Theodosius the Younger. 

Traditionally, the cincture was made by the Virgin Mary herself, out of camelhair. It was kept at Jerusalem for many years, until it was translated to Constantinople in the 5th century, together with the Robe of the Virgin Mary, and deposited in the Church of St. Mary at Blachernae.

During the reign of Emperor Leo the Wise (886-911), his wife Zoe was afllicted with an unclean spirit, and he prayed that God would heal her.

Unknown artist

Detail; Leo VI before the Christ

Mosaic

Hagia Sophia

The empress had a vision that she would be healed of her infirmity if the Belt of the Mother of God were placed upon her. The emperor then asked the Patriarch to open the coffer. The Patriarch removed the seal and opened the coffer in which the relic was kept, and the Belt of the Mother of God appeared completely whole and undamaged by time. The Patriarch placed the Belt on the sick empress, and immediately she was freed from her infirmity. They placed the venerable Belt back into the coffer and resealed it.

 This relic was embroidered with gold thread by the Empress Zoe, the wife of Emperor Leo VI, in gratitude for a miraculous cure. More on the Cincture of the Theotokos

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04 works, Today, August 30th, is Saint Pammachius' day, his story illustrated #242

Aureliano Milani

Pammachius with the plan of the basilica he built , altarpiece, 1719

Basilica of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo in Rome

Aureliano Milani (1675–1749) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, active in Bologna and Rome. He was a pupil of Cesare Gennari and Lorenzo Pasinelli in Bologna, although he also adhered to a style derived from the Carracci. He took up his residence in Rome, being ill able to support a family of ten children at Bologna. He painted a Beheaded St. John the Baptist for the church of the Bergamaschi in Rome. In Rome, he abounded with commissions, and was promoted with Domenico Maria Muratori and Donato Creti. Aureliano also taught during many years at Bologna, and among other pupils of his were Giuseppe Marchesi (called il Sansone) and Antonio Gionima. More on Aureliano Milani 

Pammachius (died c. 409 AD) was a Roman senator who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Pammachius became a monk, that is, put on a religious habit and gave himself up to works of charity. After his wife's death he built a hospice for poor strangers.

Pammachius was born to a noble Roman family. In youth he frequented the schools of rhetoric with St. Jerome, and in 385 he married Paulina, second daughter of St. Paula.

Unknown artist

Origen, the numbers homilia XXVII, Schäftlarn, c. approx. 1160

Bavarian State Library, Munich.

I have no further description, at this time

On Paulina's death in 397, Pammachius became a monk, put on a religious habit and gave himself up to works of charity. In 399 Pammachius and Oceanus wrote to St. Jerome asking him to translate Origen of Alexandria's De Principiis, and repudiate the insinuation of Rufinus that St. Jerome was of one mind with himself with regard to Origen. St. Jerome replied the following year. 

Charles-André van Loo  (1705–1765)

St. Augustine confounding the Donatist bishops at Carthage

Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas

Height: 385 cm (12.6 ft); Width: 445 cm (14.5 ft)

Victoria and Albert Museum

Carle or Charles-André van Loo, (15 February 1705 – 15 July 1765) was a French subject painter. He was the most famous member of a successful dynasty of painters of Dutch origin. His oeuvre includes every category: religion, history painting, mythology, portraiture, allegory, and genre scenes. Charles-André was born in Nice, then part of the Duchy of Savoy. Van Loo followed his brother Jean-Baptiste to Turin, and then to Rome in 1712, where he studied under Benedetto Luti and the sculptor Pierre Legros. After leaving Italy in 1723, he worked in Paris, studied at the Académie Royale, where he gained first prize for drawing in 1723, and received the first prize for historical painting in 1727. After again visiting Turin in 1727, he was employed by king Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia, for whom he painted a series of subjects illustrative of Tasso. In 1734 he settled in Paris, and in 1735 became a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture and rose rapidly in the hierarchy of the academy. Madame de Pompadour and the French court were taking the artist under their patronage. He was decorated with the Order of Saint Michael and named First Painter to king Louis XV of France in 1762. He was a most successful court painter but his portraits as well as history paintings also enjoyed an enormous success throughout all Europe. He died in Paris on 15 July 1765. More on Carle or Charles-André

In 401 Pammachius was thanked by St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa, for a letter he wrote to the people of Numidia, in Algeria, where he owned property, exhorting them to abandon the Donatist schism; a Christian group in North Africa that broke with the Roman Catholics in 312 over the election of Caecilian as bishop of Carthage. Many of St. Jerome's commentaries on Scripture were dedicated to Pammachius.

After Jean-Jacques Henner (French, 1829-1905),

St. Fabiola, mid-20th-century

Oil on canvas

 11.25" x 8.5"

Private Collection

Jean-Jacques Henner (15 March 1829 – 23 July 1905) was a French painter. Henner was born at Bernwiller (Alsace). He began his studies in art as a pupil of Michel Martin Drolling and François-Édouard Picot. In 1848, he entered the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, and took the Prix de Rome with a painting of Adam and Eve finding the Body of Abel in 1858. In Rome, he was guided by Flandrin, and painted four pictures for the gallery at Colmar among other works.

 

Henner's most widely known work is his 1885 portrait of Saint Fabiola. Although the original is now lost, it was copied by artists around the world for devotional purposes. Artist Francis Alÿs has collected over 500 copies of the portrait in a variety of media. The collection, known as the "Fabiola Project," is on exhibit at the Byzantine Fresco Chapel of the Menil Collection in Houston from May 21, 2016 - May 13, 2018.

 

Henner died at age 76 in Paris. More Jean-Jacques Henner

After his wife's death Pammachius built in conjunction with St. Fabiola a hospice at Porto, at the mouth of the Tiber opposite Ostia, for poor strangers.

The liturgical feast of Pammachius is kept on 30 August. More on Saint Pammachius

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, and 365 Saints, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

09 works, Today, August 29th, is The Beheading of John the Baptist day, his story illustrated #241

Lovis Corinth, (1858–1925)

Salome , II. Version, c. 1900

Oil on canvas

127 × 147 cm (50 × 57.8 in)

Museum of Fine Arts Leipzig

Lovis Corinth (21 July 1858 – 17 July 1925) was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism.

Corinth studied in Paris and Munich, joined the Berlin Secession group, later succeeding Max Liebermann as the group's president. His early work was naturalistic in approach. Corinth was initially antagonistic towards the expressionist movement, but after a stroke in 1911 his style loosened and took on many expressionistic qualities. His use of color became more vibrant, and he created portraits and landscapes of extraordinary vitality and power. Corinth's subject matter also included nudes and biblical scenes. More on Lovis Corinth

Following the Baptism of the Jesus, Saint John the Baptist was locked up in prison by Herod Antipas, ruler of one fourth of the Holy Land, and governor of Galilee. Herod Antipas received Galilee from the emperor Augustus.

The prophet John openly denounced Herod for having left his lawful wife, the daughter of the Arabian king Aretas, and then instead cohabiting with Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. On his birthday, Herod made a feast for dignitaries, the elders and a thousand chief citizens. 

Maurycy Gottlieb, (1856–1879)

Salome's Dance, circa 1879

Oil on canvas

Height: 37.5 cm (14.7 in); Width: 67.5 cm (26.5 in)

National Museum in Kielce

Maurycy Gottlieb; February 21/28, 1856 – July 17, 1879) was a Polish realist painter of the Romantic period. He was born in Drohobych to a wealthy family living in Galicia. It was then part of the Austrian sector of Partitioned Poland, now Western Ukraine. Considered one of the most talented students of Jan Matejko, Gottllieb died at the age of 23.

At fifteen, he enrolled at the Vienna Fine Arts Academy for three years. In 1873 he went to Kraków to study under Jan Matejko. He traveled to Norway and stayed in Molde. He returned to Vienna and from there travelled to Munich in 1875 to study under Karl Piloty and Alexander Wagner. In 1876 he won the Gold Medal at the Munich Academy for his painting, Shylock and Jessica. In the same year, he moved back to Vienna. He lived and worked in Vienna for the next two years and produced paintings with biblical themes, as well as illustrations for Friedrich Bruckmann Publishing of Munich.

In 1879 Gottlieb settled in Kraków . He died in the same year from health complications. More on Maurycy Gottlieb

Salome, the daughter of Herod, danced before the guests and charmed Herod. In gratitude to the girl, he swore to give her whatever she would ask, up to half his kingdom.

After Ernest Lee Major (American, 1864–1950)

Herodias and her daughter , c. 1881

Oil on Canvas

121.9 x 101.6 cm. (48 x 40 in.)

Private collection

Ernest Lee Major (1864–1950) was an American painter.

Originally from the Washington DC area, Major first studied under E. C. Messer at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, then at the Art Students League of New York with William Merritt Chase. A Harper Hargarten Prize provided him with the opportunity to travel to Europe, where he studied under Gustave Boulanger and Jules Joseph Lefebvre.

Returning to the United States in 1888, Major taught at Cowles Art School until he took a teaching post in 1896 at Massachusetts Normal Art School. From 1908, he moved to Fenway Studios where he taught private lessons and painted.

Major's work won a silver medal at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915, and also the Bok Prize in 1917. More on Ernest Lee Major

Salome, on the advice of her wicked mother Herodias, asked that she be given the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod became apprehensive, for he feared the wrath of God for the murder of a prophet, whom earlier he had heeded. He also feared the people, who loved John. But because of the guests and his careless oath, he gave orders to cut off the head of Saint John and to give it to Salome.

Unknown artist

The Beheading of St John

Icon

I have no further description, at this time

According to Tradition, the mouth of the dead preacher of repentance once more opened and proclaimed: “Herod, you should not have the wife of your brother Philip.

Unknown artist

The Head of the Baptist

Icon

I have no further description, at this time

Salome took the platter with the head of Saint John and gave it to her mother. The frenzied Herodias repeatedly stabbed the tongue of the prophet with a needle and buried his head in a unclean place. 

Unknown artist

The Burial of St. John the Baptist, circa 1700

Icon

I have no further description, at this time

But Joanna, wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, buried the head of John the Baptist in an earthen vessel on the Mount of Olives, where Herod had a parcel of land. The body of John the Baptist was taken that night by his disciples and buried at Sebastia.

William Brassey Hole

Jesus being interviewed privately by Pontius Pilate

Art Thou King Of The Jews

Watercolor on paper

I have no further description, at this time

Here we witness a profound moment in history as Jesus Christ is interviewed privately by Pontius Pilate. The image transports us back to biblical times, allowing us to glimpse into the intense encounter between these two iconic figures. Jesus Stands calmly, his serene expression contrasting with the weight of the impending judgment. The private nature of their meeting adds intrigue to the scene, as both men grapple with their respective roles and responsibilities within this pivotal moment. William Brassey Hole's depiction captures not only the physical likeness but also delves into the emotional depth of each character. Through skillful brushstrokes and meticulous attention to detail. More on this painting

William Brassey Hole RSA (7 November 1846 – 22 October 1917) was an English artist, illustrator, etcher and engraver, known for his industrial, historical and biblical scenes.

He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, then served an apprenticeship as a civil engineer for 5 years, although he really wanted to be an artist.

In 1869, he sailed from Swansea to Genoa, and spent the next 6 months travelling and sketching around Italy. In Rome he made the acquaintance of Keeley Halswelle who gave him practical advice on art. 

On returning to Edinburgh, Hole entered the School of Design, then won admission to the life school of the Royal Scottish Academy, first exhibiting there in 1873; in 1878 he was elected an associate of the Academy. Around this time he took up etching and was accepted into the Royal Society of Painters and Etchers (RE) in 1885; he was already a member of the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society (RSW) from 1884. He eventually became a full member of the Academy (RSA). More on William Brassey Hole

After the murder of Saint John the Baptist, Herod continued to govern for a certain time. Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, later sent Jesus Christ to him, Whom he mocked.

Kristina Gehrmann

Death of Salome

Digital art

I have no further description, at this time

Kristina Gehrmann is an illustrator and graphic novelist, exploring historical and fantasy subjects in a detailed painterly style. Her preferred tools are a Wacom tablet and Photoshop, and her clients are mostly big and small book publishers.

Her graphic novel/comic debut „Im Eisland“ tells the story of the lost Franklin Expedition in a trilogy of three comics, the first of which won the German Childrens‘ Literature Award in 2016.

She is also practically deaf since birth, and lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her husband. More on Kristina Gehrmann

The judgment of God came upon Herod, Herodias and Salome, even during their earthly life. Salome, crossing the River Sikoris in winter, fell through the ice. The ice gave way in such a way that her body was in the water, but her head was trapped above the ice. It was similar to how she once had danced with her feet upon the ground, but now she flailed helplessly in the icy water. Thus she was trapped until that time when the sharp ice cut through her neck.

Unknown artist

Caligula

Łazienkowski Park, Warsaw

I have no further description, at this time

Her corpse was not found, but they brought the head to Herod and Herodias, as once they had brought them the head of Saint John the Baptist. The Arab king Aretas, in revenge for the disrespect shown his daughter, made war against Herod. The defeated Herod suffered the wrath of the Roman emperor Caius Caligua and was exiled with Herodias first to Gaul, and then to Spain. More on The Beheading of John the Baptist

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

09 works, Today, August 28th, is Moses the Black's day, his story illustrated #240

Unknown artist

Saint Moses the Abyssinian

Frescoes

Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Nabk, north of Damascus, Syria

Moses the Black (330–405), also known as Abba Moses the Robber, the Ethiopian , and the Strong, was an ascetic monk and priest in Egypt in the fourth century AD, and a notable Desert Father. According to stories about him, he converted from a life of crime to one of asceticism.

Moses was a servant of a government official in Egypt who dismissed him for theft and suspected murder. A large, imposing figure, he became the leader of a gang of bandits who roamed the Nile Valley spreading terror and violence.

Unknown artist

Mercenaries of the Ancient World
Constable and Company, 1997

I have no further description, at this time

On one occasion, a barking dog prevented Moses from carrying out a robbery, so he swore vengeance on the owner. Weapons in his mouth, Moses swam the river toward the owner's hut. The owner, again alerted, hid, and the frustrated Moses took some of his sheep to slaughter. Attempting to hide from local authorities, he took shelter with some monks in a colony in the desert of Wadi El Natrun, then called Scetes, near Alexandria. The dedication of their lives, as well as their peace and contentment, influenced Moses deeply. He soon gave up his old way of life, became a Christian, was baptized and joined the monastic community at Scetes.

Sano di Pietro

Monastic Life, c. about 1435

Saint Anthony tempted by a heap of gold

Tempera on panel 

Height: 47.0 cm; Width: 33.7 cm 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manhattan , New York , USA

Sano di Pietro or Ansano di Pietro di Mencio (1406–1481) was an Italian painter of the Sienese school of painting. He was active for about half a century during the Quattrocento period, and his contemporaries included Giovanni di Paolo and Sassetta.

 

Sano was born in 1406. His name enters the roll of painters in 1428 where it remained until his death in 1481. In addition to his own painting and overseeing the pupils and assistants in his workshop, Sano was also part of the civic fabric of Siena, in 1431 and 1442 he was the leader of the San Donato district of Siena. Sano was also employed as an arbitrator; in 1475 he was called upon to settle a dispute between fellow painters Neroccio di Bartolommeo and Francesco di Giorgio Martini.

 

It was, however, as a painter that he made his living. The workshop he ran produced huge number of artworks. He wasn't merely a painter of altar pieces. He also produced frescoes, miniatures, and book bindings. Sano died in 1481. More on Sano di Pietro 

Moses had a rather difficult time adjusting to regular monastic discipline. His flair for adventure remained with him. Attacked by a group of robbers in his desert cell, Moses fought back, overpowered the intruders, and dragged them to the chapel where the other monks were at prayer. 

Unknown artist

Abba Moses the Ethiopian; Sayings, and Life
I have no further description, at this time

He told the brothers that he did not think it is Christian to hurt the robbers and asked what he should do with them. The robbers themselves repented and joined the community as brothers afterwards. Moses was zealous in all he did, but became discouraged when he concluded he was not perfect enough. Early one morning, Isidore, abbot of the monastery, took Moses to the roof and together they watched the first rays of dawn come over the horizon. Isidore said to Moses, "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day, and thus, only slowly does one become a perfect contemplative."

Unknown artist

Moses the Black 

I have no further description, at this time

Moses proved to be effective as a prophetic spiritual leader. The abbot ordered the brothers to fast during a particular week. Some brothers came to Moses, and he prepared a meal for them. Neighboring monks reported to the abbot that Moses was breaking the fast. When they came to confront Moses, they changed their minds, saying, "You did not keep a human commandment, but it was so that you might keep the divine commandment of hospitality." Some see in this account one of the earliest allusions to the Paschal fast, which developed at this time.

Unknown artist

 St. Moses Murin from Mariovo 

I have no further description, at this time

When a brother committed a fault and Moses was invited to a meeting to discuss an appropriate penance, Moses refused to attend. When he was again called to the meeting, Moses took a leaking jug filled with water and carried it on his shoulder. Another version of the story has him carrying a basket filled with sand. When he arrived at the meeting place, the others asked why he was carrying the jug. He replied, "My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another." On hearing this, the assembled brothers forgave the erring monk.

Pedro Berruguete, (1450–1504)

I am coming to judge the errors of another

Saint Dominic Presiding over an Auto-da-fe, between circa 1493 and circa 1499

Oil on panel

Height: 154 cm (60.6 in); Width: 92 cm (36.2 in)

Museo del Prado

Pedro Berruguete (c. 1450 – 1504) was a Spanish painter; his art is regarded as a transitional style in Spain between Gothic and Renaissance. Berruguete most famously created paintings of the first few years of the Inquisition and of religious imagery for Castilian retablos. He is considered by some as the first Renaissance painter in Spain. 

It is speculated that he travelled to Italy in 1480 and worked in Federico III da Montefeltro's court in Urbino. 

He returned to Spain in 1482 and painted in several cities, such as Toledo and Ávila. His exact date of death is unknown and often approximated around the years 1503-04, but it is also speculated that he might have died in Madrid, though no real documentation has been found for this claim. More on Pedro Berruguete

Moses became the spiritual leader of a colony of hermits in the Western Desert. Later, he was ordained a priest.

Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian: 12th-century frescoes

At about age 75, about the year 405 AD, word came that the Mazices, a group of Berbers, planned to attack the monastery. The brothers wanted to defend themselves, but Moses forbade it. He told them to retreat, rather than take up weapons. Citing that a violent death was the appropriate death for a former robber—"All who take the sword will perish by the sword"—he opted to remain behind. He was joined by seven others, and they were together martyred by the bandits on 24 Paoni (July 1).

Unknown artist

Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian: 12th-century frescoes

Frescoes

Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, Nabk, north of Damascus, Syria

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.

07 works, Today, August 27th, is Saint Phanourios' day, his story illustrated #239

Aggelos Akotantos  (–1450) 

Saint Phanourios, (second quarter of 15th c)

The Collection of Agia Aikaterini, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Angelos Akotantos was a 15th-century Byzantine-Cretan Icon-painter and hagiographer who lived and worked at Heraklion, Crete, then part of the Republic of Venice. He was the first hagiographer to sign his name on his icons by writing in Greek: "Χειρ Αγγέλου" which, translated in English, means "By hand of Angelos".

Angelos Akotantos' known works consist of about 50 pieces, 30 of which are signed icons and an additional 20 which have been reliably attributed to the artist. Akotantos had a workshop in Candia, the capital of Crete, from which he supplied icons to Greek churches and monasteries on Crete, Patmos, Rhodes and elsewhere.

Akotantos was the most important Greek painter of the first half of the 15th century when the center of Byzantine art was transferred from the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople, to Heraklion the capital of Crete, as a result of the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Akotantos painted icons of Saint Phanourios in the act of killing a dragon, similar to Saint George, a local tradition found in icons of the 15th century in Crete. More on Angelos Akotantos 

We know nothing for certain about the background of Saint Phanourius, nor exactly when he lived. Tradition says that when the island of Rhodes had been conquered by Moslems, the new ruler of the island wished to rebuild the walls of the city, which had been damaged in previous wars. Several ruined buildings were near the fortress, and stone from these buildings was used to repair the walls at the end of the fifteenth century, or the beginning of the sixteenth.

Frescoes of the original church, Rhodes

Church of St Phanourios being dedicated to Christ 

I have no further description, at this time

While working on the fortress, the Moslems uncovered the ruins of a beautiful church. Several icons, most of them badly damaged, were found on the floor. One icon, of Saint Phanourius, looked as if it had been painted that very day. The local bishop, whose name was Nilus, was called to see the icon. It said, “Saint Phanourius.”

Unknown artist

Icon of St Phanourios showing his confession of faith, tortures and final martyrdom

Rhodes

I have no further description, at this time

The saint is depicted as a young soldier holding a cross in his right hand. On the upper part of the cross is a lighted taper. Twelve scenes from his life are shown around the border of the icon. These scenes show him being questioned by an official, being beaten with stones by soldiers, stretched out on the ground while soldiers whip him, then having his sides raked with iron hooks. He is also shown locked up in prison, standing before the official again, being burned with candles, tied to a rack, thrown to the wild animals, and being crushed by a large rock. The remaining scenes depict him standing before idols holding burning coals in his hands, while a demon stands by lamenting his defeat by the saint, and finally, the saint stands in the midst of a fire with his arms raised in prayer.

Kolyvas, Ioannis

Icon of St. Phanourios, c.  1688

Egg Tempera

St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt

I have no further description, at this time

These scenes clearly revealed that the saint was a martyr. Bishop Nilus sent representatives to the Moslem ruler, asking that he be permitted to restore the church. Permission was denied, so the bishop went to Constantinople and there he obtained a decree allowing him to rebuild the church.

Silvestros Desos

Photo: Philippe Fuzeau

Christ and Saint Phanourios, 1620-1630

Tempera on wood

73 x 66 cm 

Louvre Museum

This Cretan icon has several characteristics that make it exceptional. The work may have come from the monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai after the fall of Constantinople (1453) and may have been owned by the viceroy of Egypt Mohammed Ali. The icon entered the family of the current owner before 1843, so it has a history dating back to at least the 1840s, an extremely rare case for icons that can be acquired today on the art market. It was confirmed that it respects traditional techniques: glued canvas, underlying drawing, tempera technique…. The cliché infrared reflectography further revealed the signature of the artist: Silvestros Desos, active in the first half of the XVII century in Candia (Heraklion). Finally the icon has a prestigious model: it is a variation on a partially ruined icon of one of the biggest names of the Creto-Venetian icon Angelos Akotantos, kept at the Valsamonero monastery in Crete. More on this Icon

This work is based on a 15th work by the great Cretan iconographer Angelos Akotantos, see above

I have no information on Silvestros Desos

At that time, there was no Orthodox bishop on the island of Crete. Since Crete was under the control of Venice, there was a Latin bishop. The Venetians refused to allow a successor to be consecrated when an Orthodox bishop died, or for new priests to be ordained, hoping that in time they would be able to convert the Orthodox population to Catholicism. Those seeking ordination were obliged to go to the island of Kythera.

Unknown artist

Captured at sea

I have no further description, at this time

It so happened that three young deacons had traveled from Crete to Kythera to be ordained to the holy priesthood. On their way back, they were captured at sea by Moslems who brought them to Rhodes to be sold as slaves. Lamenting their fate, the three new priests wept day and night.

Unknown artist

Icon of St. Phanourios (Cretan, 1843)

Egg Tempera

Hodegetria Monastery, Crete, Greece

While in Rhodes the priests heard of the miracles performed by the holy Great Martyr Phanourius. They began to pray to him with tears, asking to be freed from their captivity. Each of the three had been sold to a different master, and so remained unaware of what the others were doing.

By the mercy of God, each of the priests was allowed by his master to pray at the restored church of Saint Phanourius. All three arrived at the same time and prostrated themselves before the icon of the saint, asking to be delivered from the hands of the Hagarenes (Moslems, descendents of Hagar). Somewhat consoled, the priests left the church and returned to their masters.

That night Saint Phanourius appeared to the three masters and ordered them to set the priests free so that they could serve the Church, or he would punish them. The Moslems ignored the saint’s warning, believing the vision to be the result of sorcery. The cruel masters bound the priests with chains and treated them even worse than before.

Then Saint Phanourius went to the priests and freed them from their shackles, promising that they would be freed the next day. Appearing once more to the Moslems, the holy martyr told them severely, “If you do not release your slaves by tomorrow, you shall witness the power of God!”

The next morning, all the inhabitants of the homes where the priests were held awoke to find themselves blind, paralyzed, and in great pain. They considered what they were to do, and so decided to send for the priests. When the three priests arrived, they asked them whether they could heal them. The priests replied, “We will pray to God. May His will be done!”

Once more Saint Phanourius appeared to the Hagarenes, ordering them to send to the church a document granting the priests their freedom. He told them that if they refused to do this, they would never recover their sight or health. All three masters wrote letters releasing the priests, and sent the documents to the church, where they were placed before the icon of Saint Phanourius.

Before the messengers returned from the church, all those who had been blind and paralyzed were healed. The priests joyfully returned to Crete, carrying with them a copy of the icon of Saint Phanourius. Every year they celebrated the Feast of Saint Phanourius with deep gratitude for their miraculous deliverance. More on Saint Phanourius

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

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