Manuel Panselinos
Fresco
I have no further description, at this time
Manuel Panselinos or Panselenos was a Byzantine painter, from Saloniki, of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, one of the most important late Byzantine artists , and one of the main creators of the religious iconography of Eastern Christianity . It is considered the summit of the Macedonian school , sometimes called the school of Panselinos (1290-1320).
The first mention of his name is in an 18th-century manual of painters by Dionysius of Fourna, who does not provide his dates or mention specific works. It is unclear to this day whether there was actually a painter by this name, since contemporary sources do not mention him. More on Manuel Panselinos or Panselenos
Mercurius (d. AD 250) was a Christian saint and a martyr. He was born in the city of Eskentos in Cappadocia, Turkey.
His parents were converts to Christianity and they called him "Philopater". They reared him in a Christian manner. When he was17 he enlisted in the Roman army during the days of Emperor Decius, the pagan. He gained a great reputation among his superiors as a swordsman and a tactician in many battles.
Cappadocia, Turkey
His parents were converts to Christianity and they called him "Philopater". They reared him in a Christian manner. When he was17 he enlisted in the Roman army during the days of Emperor Decius, the pagan. He gained a great reputation among his superiors as a swordsman and a tactician in many battles.
They called him Mercurius and he grew very close to the Emperor. Saint Mercurius is also known by the name Abu-Seifein (أبو سيفين), which in Arabic means "the holder of two swords," referring to a second sword given to him, by the Archangel Michael. He was given this name by The Berbers who fought against him.
Fantasia or Game of Powder, c. 1832
Watercolor
Louvre Museum
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.
As a painter and muralist, Delacroix's use of expressive brushstrokes and his study of the optical effects of colour profoundly shaped the work of the Impressionists, while his passion for the exotic inspired the artists of the Symbolist movement. A fine lithographer, Delacroix illustrated various works of William Shakespeare, the Scottish author Walter Scott and the German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Delacroix took for his inspiration the art of Rubens and painters of the Venetian Renaissance, with an attendant emphasis on colour and movement rather than clarity of outline and carefully modelled form. Dramatic and romantic content characterized the central themes of his maturity, and led him not to the classical models of Greek and Roman art, but to travel in North Africa, in search of the exotic. Friend and spiritual heir to Théodore Géricault, Delacroix was also inspired by Lord Byron, with whom he shared a strong identification with the "forces of the sublime", of nature in often violent action.
However, Delacroix was given to neither sentimentality nor bombast, and his Romanticism was that of an individualist. In the words of Baudelaire, "Delacroix was passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express passion as clearly as possible." More on Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix
Philopater was the son of Yares, a Scythian officer in the Roman army. One day, while Yares was hunting in the forest with his father, the two were attacked by an animal. The animal jumped on Yares' father, causing Yares to faint. While Yares was unconscious, he had a vision with a brilliant light and a voice saying:
Yares, I am your God who loves you. I know that you have a good heart and that you hate the pagan idols. I want to inform you that your son, Philopatyr, will become like a tree bearing good fruits, and because of him, I will bless you and your wife. Philopatyr will be my witness and will defy all prejudice in my name.
Yares, his wife, and his son were baptized shortly after. News of their baptism spread quickly in the city and the prince ordered them to be arrested and thrown to wild animals. However, the animals did not harm them and the prince decided to release them.
When the Berbers attacked, Yares went to fight them. He was taken prisoner and was brought to their country where he was kept for seventeen months. When the war finally ended, he went back to his city and joined his family, but died shortly after.
Unknown artist
Yuhanna al-Armani, Saint Mercury, c. 1778
Church of the Virgin Mary al-Mo'allaqah, Cairo
After the death of Yares, the pagan Roman Emperor Decius (ruled 249-251) chose Mercurius to replace his father. Described as very strong and courageous, Mercurius earned the respect of his fellow soldiers and gained renown as a swordsman. When the Berbers attacked Rome, Decius went out to fight them but became afraid when he saw how many there were.
Unknown artist
Archangel Michael appeared to Mercurius
Icon
Patina, canvas, gesso, wax
32*28 cm
I have no further description, at this time
After several days of fighting, the Archangel Michael appeared to Mercurius holding a shining sword. The saint took the sword from the archangel, hence the name Abu-Seifein - "the holder of two swords": a military sword and a divine sword. He conquered the Berbers. When Decius heard news of the triumphant victory, he named Mercurius as a prince.
Nonetheless, in 249, Decius began his persecution of Christians, compelling everyone to offer sacrifices to his pagan gods. The Archangel Michael appeared to Mercurius and told him to remember God and not be fearful of persecution. The saint was encouraged and spent the whole night praying fervently, confessing his weakness to God.
The Emperor sent messengers to summon Mercurius to the palace, saying: "Dear Mercurius, let us go offer incense to the gods who helped us attain victory in the war." As they were leaving, Mercurius slipped through the crowd and went away. However, one of the guards reported his absence, and the Emperor called Mercurius and asked him: "Is it true that you refused to worship the idols who helped us during the war?" Mercurius declared himself a Christian, saying, "I do not worship anyone except my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ."
Pierre Puvis De Chavannes, c. 1869
Mercurius was beheaded on 4 December 250 AD
The beheading of St. John the Baptist
Oil on canvas
240 x 316 cm
National Gallery, Greece
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (14 December 1824 – 24 October 1898) was a French painter best known for his mural painting, who came to be known as 'the painter for France'. He became the co-founder and president of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and his work influenced many other artists, notably Robert Genin. Puvis de Chavannes was a prominent painter in the early Third Republic. Émile Zola described his work as "an art made of reason, passion, and will". More on Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
The Emperor tried to persuade him to give up his faith but failed. He then ordered Mercurius to be stripped of his rank and tortured. Fearing a revolt because the people loved Mercurius, the emperor had him bound in iron fetters and sent him to Caesarea. Mercurius was beheaded on 4 December 250 AD. He was only 25 years old.
Unknown artist
Saint Mercury of Caesarea kills the emperor Julian , c. 18th century
Oil on canvas
cm 126x101
Church of the Santissimo Salvatore, Campobasso, Italy
Unknown artist
Julian was killed by a javelin flung by an unknown hand
I have no further description, at this time
Taken from Volume II of Jameson’s Sacred and Legendary Art. Containing the Patron Saints, the Martyrs, the Early Bishops, the Hermits, and the Warrior Saints of Christendom, as represented in the Fine Arts. Riverside Press, 1896. More on this work
According to one tradition, Saint Basil once prayed before an icon on which Mercurius was portrayed as a soldier carrying a spear. He asked God not to permit the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) to return from his war against the Persians and resume his oppression of Christians. The image of the holy Great Martyr Mercurius depicted on the icon became invisible, only to reappear later with a bloodied spear. Julian the Apostate, on his Persian campaign, was mortally wounded by the spear of an unknown soldier. More on Saint Mercurius
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