06 works, Today, August 18th, is the Saints Florus and Laurus' day, their story illustrated #230

Unknown iconographer

Miracle of Flora and Lavra, c. 15th century

Icon

 Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

I have no further description, at this time

Archangel Michael holds two saddled horses on long reins. Flor and Lavr on either side of it stand on the tops of the hills. Under the archangel are two horse-breeders, the third horse-breeder is placed lower in the left corner. In the lower part of the composition near a semi-oval reservoir, horses with foals are depicted in lively and various poses. 

The coloring of the icons combines light soft tones and thick, bright, saturated ones. Slides are golden yellow. The water in the reservoir is light blue. Horses are black, white, gray, brownish-pink. The background and fields are golden. Cinnabar inscriptions. More on this Icon

Saints Florus and Laurus, twin brothers, who were second century martyrs, are considered the patrons of horses among the Rus because a local horse plague was healed by their relics. Russian peasants would tether their horses around the church on their feast day and avoid putting the horses to work in order to avoid a recurrence of the plague. According to The Golden Bough, peasants didn’t plough with horses on the brothers’ feast day for fear of causing a cattle plague but would lead their horses round their village church. The horses were often also driven to a local pond and driven into the water after a priest had blessed it; the horses were washed in the pond and then led in procession around the church.

Unknown artist

SS. Florus and Laurus, c. 16th century

Russian icon

The twin brothers were stonemasons in the district of Illyricum. According to the story, Likaion, the prefect of Illyricum, employed the brothers in the construction of a pagan temple. The brothers gave their salaries to the poor. When the son of a local pagan priest named Mamertin was injured by a chip of stone from the saints’ temple, Florus and Laurus cured the boy after the boy converted to Christianity. Mamertin also decided to convert to Christianity as a result of his son’s recovery.

Stephan Kessler, (1622–1700)

The group smashed all of the statues of the pagan gods

Daniel and King Cyrus in Bel's Temple, c. 1622-1700

Oil on canvas

Height: 165 cm (64.9 in); Width: 232 cm (91.3 in)

Private collection, Salzburg

Stephan Kessler (born January 16, 1622 in Donauwörth ; † August 31, 1700 in Brixen ) was one of the most important baroque painters in Tyrol . As a sought-after artist of the urban clergy and nobility, he painted altar leaves and biblical history pictures, among other things, and designed the baroque hall of the Benediktbeuern monastery together with Caspar Feichtmayr.

Kessler's father Georg was a painter by trade and came to Donauwörth from Breslau . His stay in Brixen is guaranteed for 1643, and in 1644 he was granted citizenship there, and it was suggested that instead of the payment due for this, he should paint a plaque for the town hall. Kessler had his first marriage in 1643 and had seven children with his wife Margretha. 

Soon after his arrival in Brixen, Kessler founded a painting workshop and ran it with great entrepreneurial skill. After a short time he received many orders from church and noble clients. He became known beyond South Tyrol and had customers in cities like Graz and Vienna . In later years his sons Michael, Gabriel and Raphael worked in his workshop with him. More on Stephan Kessler

After the temple was built, Florus and Laurus brought together many local Christians there. The group smashed all of the statues of the pagan gods, a cross was set up in the temple, and the Christians spent the whole night in prayer in the converted temple. As a result of this action, the local authorities had 300 Christians, including Mamertin and Mamertin’s son, burned to death. 

Unknown iconographer

 The torment of Sts. Flor and Laurus.

. Fresco

Athos (Dionysios)

Florus and Laurus were executed by being thrown down an empty well which was then covered over with earth. More on Saints Florus and Laurus

Novgorod school, con. XV - early. XVI centuries 

Miracle of Florus and Laurus, with Saint Michael, c. 16th century

Icon Fragment

I have no further description, at this time

The Novgorod School is a Russian school noted for its icon and mural painters active from the 12th century through the 16th century in Novgorod. During this time, the Russian artists preserved Byzantine traditions, influenced by Theophanes the Greek, which became the framework for later Russian art.

Novgorod was an economic and cultural center in 13th and 14th century Russia, when most of the rest of the country was occupied by the Mongols. Novgordian artists preserved the Byzantine traditions that formed the basis of Russian art but introduced lighter and brighter colors, flatter forms, softening of facial types, and increasing use of a graceful, rhythmic line to define form. Until the early 14th century, artistic activity was dominated by mural painting. A new artistic impetus was provided by the introduction of the iconostasis. When icons were displayed together on the iconostasis rather than scattered about the walls of the church, they demanded a coherent overall impression, which was achieved by strong, rhythmic lines and color harmonies. Figures took on the elongated shape that became standard in Russian art.

In the 16th century artistic leadership passed to the Moscow School. More on The Novgorod School

Later tales also say that one day Florus and Laurus lost their horses. The two brothers appealed to the Archangel Michael to help them recover the runaway horses. The archangel helped them recover the horses and the two decided to dedicate their lives to horses. 

Aidan Hart

Saints Florus and Laurus with Saints Elashippus, Speushippus & Melashippus

I have no further description, at this time

Aidan Hart, a member of the Greek Orthodox Church living in Britain, has been a full-time icon painter and carver for over twenty-five years.

He has works in more than twenty countries of the world and in many cathedrals and monasteries.

His aim, in accordance with the Byzantine icon tradition, is to make liturgical art that manifests the world transfigured in Christ.

For inspiration Aidan draws in particular on the Byzantine, Russian and Romanesque icon traditions. Aidan and his growing team of artisans work in a variety of liturgical arts – carving, fresco, mosaic and liturgical furnishings as well as panel icons. More on Aidan Hart

In addition, SS. Elashippus, Speushippus & Melashippus are often depicted with SS. Florus and Laurus. These three other men were Cappadocian brothers, two of them twins, who were grooms and horse doctors, who were said to have been trained as horse doctors by SS. Florus & Laurus and the Archangel Michael himself.

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