Cretan school describes an important school of icon painting, under the umbrella of post-Byzantine art, which flourished while Crete was under Venetian rule during the late Middle Ages, reaching its climax after the fall of Constantinople, becoming the central force in Greek painting during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The Cretan artists developed a particular style of painting under the influence of both Eastern and Western artistic traditions and movements; the most famous product of the school, El Greco, was the most successful of the many artists who tried to build a career in Western Europe, and also the one who left the Byzantine style farthest behind him in his later career.
The Heptanese school of painting succeeded the Cretan school as the leading school of Greek post-Byzantine painting after Crete fell to the Ottomans in 1669. Like the Cretan school, it combined Byzantine traditions with an increasing Western European artistic influence and also saw the first significant depiction of secular subjects. The school was based in the Ionian Islands, which were not part of Ottoman Greece, from the middle of the 17th century until the middle of the 19th century. The center of Greek art migrated urgently to the Ionian Islands but countless Greek artists were influenced by the school including the ones living throughout the Greek communities in the Ottoman Empire and elsewhere in the world.
Theodore Poulakis was a Greek Renaissance painter and teacher. He is considered the father of the Heptanese School and one of the most prolific painters of Venetian Crete. Poulakis was a member of the Cretan School, his contemporary was Emmanuel Tzanes. Emmanuel Tzanes and Poulakis were active painters of the Cretan School until Candia, went to war with the Ottomans around 1649. Candia finally fell after twenty years of siege in 1669. Poulakis settled on the island of Corfu. Stephanos Tzangarolas was another famous painter in Corfu around the same period. Poulakis's works are likened to Andreas Pavias and Georgios Klontzas. Poulakis works exhibit qualities of the Venetian school. Over 130 of his paintings have survived and can be found all over the world.
Andreas Ritzos also known as (Andreas Rico, Ricio or Rizo) was a Greek icon painter from Crete. Ritzos is considered one of the founding fathers of the Cretan School. He was affiliated with Angelos Akotantos. Most of his work stylistically follows the traditional maniera greca. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were also painters. He was one of the most influential painters of the Cretan School along with Andreas Pavias and Angelos Akotantos. He influenced the works of Georgios Klontzas, Nikolaos Tzafouris, Theophanes the Cretan, Michael Damaskinos and El Greco. According to the Institute for Neohellenic Research, sixty of his paintings have survived.
The Crucifixion is a tempera painting by Andreas Pavias, who was active in Crete during the second half of the 15th century and is considered part of the Cretan School. It is now in the National Gallery of Greece. The painting influenced countless arts. Georgios Klontzas, Emmanuel Lambardos, Ioannis Moskos created similar works. Pavias introduced multiple figures to his Crucifixion. Georgios Klontzas began to employ a similar method in his famous work In Thee Rejoiceth. A work that was emulated by Theodore Poulakis and Franghias Kavertzas. The painting exhibited characteristics of the traditional maniera greca and the Venetian style.
Konstantinos Tzanes was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was a painter in Crete and Venice. His brother Emmanuel Tzanes was the parish priest of the church of San Giorgio dei Greci. Emmanuel Tzanes was also a famous painter and author. Konstantinos followed the Venetian style and in some instances completely broke from the maniera greca. His other brother Marinos Tzanes was a famous poet. Konstantinos's work influenced both Greek and Italian Painters. His most popular work is the painting by Mary Magdalene which is at the Greek Institute in Venice.
Ιoannis Apakas, also known as Johann Apakass was a Greek painter and priest. He was active in the latter part of the 16th century to the early 17th century. He was popular artist during his time.
Leo or Leos Moskos was a painter and educator. There were two other painters named Moskos active around the same period, Elias Moskos and Ioannis Moskos, who may have been his relatives. Indeed, Leo is often confused with Elias Moskos. Some of his work was inspired by Georgios Klontzas and Franghias Kavertzas. He traveled all over the Venetian Empire. Records indicate he traveled to Venice, Cephalonia, and Zakynthos His style resembled the Cretan School. He taught famous painter Panagiotis Doxaras. His most popular work is the Last Judgment. His paintings can be found all over the world. Twenty of his paintings have survived.
Ioannis Moskos was a Greek painter that migrated to Venice. Two other very famous painters with the name Moskos were active around the same period Elias Moskos and Leos Moskos. Leos Moskos frequently traveled all over the Venitian Empire and was in Venice around the same period as Ioannis. He is not Elias Moskos's son. The Moskos painters may have had some relationship but documentation is unavailable. Ioannis painted in the traditional maniera greca and the Venetian style. His art resembles Michael Damaskinos and Andreas Pavias. He was affiliated with the church of San Giorgio dei Greci. He left a huge assortment of paintings that can be found all over the world. His most popular work is The Crucifixion.
Emmanuel Lampardos, also known as Emmanouil Lampardos and Manolitzis. He was a Cretan Renaissance painter. Emmanuel and his nephew Emmanuel Lampardos have been very difficult to distinguish because they were active painters around the same period. Countless Greek and Italian artists emulated the famous painters. The name Lampardos was very notable in reference to Cretan art. The family was affiliated with famous painters Franghias Kavertzas and Tzortzi Papadopoulo. Lampardos emulated Georgios Klontzas, Michael Damaskinos, Angelos Akotantos, Andreas Pavias, Andreas Ritzos and Nikolaos Tzafouris. His style was the typical maniera greca with a strong Venetian influence. Countless images of the virgin and child have survived. Lampardos influenced Franghias Kavertzas, Emmanuel Tzanes, Philotheos Skoufos Elias Moskos, Leos Moskos, Ioannis Moskos and Emmanuel Tzanfournaris. Over fifty-six icons have been attributed to Lampardos.
Konstantinos Paleokapas was a Greek painter active during the 17th century. He was active in Crete. His contemporaries were: Elias Moskos, Leos Moskos, Victor (iconographer), Franghias Kavertzas and Ieremias Palladas. His style was similar to his contemporaries, the artists were part of the Cretan School. The art was heavily influenced by Venetian art. His remaining work testifies to the style of the region. Six of his works have survived. His most notable work is the Crucifixion of Christ. His Crucifixion is comparable to the Ioannis Moskos Crucifixion and The Crucifixion (Pavias) by Andreas Pavias. His Crucifixion lacks the unique Impenitent thief found in many followers of Pavias's style. His Crucifixion mostly resembles Ioannis Moskos. Paleokapas had a unique style. Most of his work is at the Gonia Monastery in Crete.
Georgios Markazinis, also known as Georgius Margazinis or Margazinius, was a Greek painter from the island of Crete. His style is different from his contemporaries. He can be likened to Ioannis Permeniates, Theodore Poulakis, Elias Moskos and Konstantinos Tzanes. His work escapes the typical lines of the maniera greca and his art is heavily influenced by the Venetian style. Only two of his works have survived. His most notable work is The Crucifixion. The Crucifixion is held at the Hellenic Institute in Venice. His other work is of the Last Judgment which is located in a church at Skradin, Croatia.
Ioannis Tzen also known as Ioannis Dzenos, was a 17th-century Greek baroque painter. He was active on the Ionian islands and a prominent member of the local school. He also represented Crete towards the end of the Cretan School. His painting style reflects an affiliation with Emmanuel Tzanes. He was active on the island Corfu. Greek painters affiliated with the same island active during the same period were Theodore Poulakis, Stephanos Tzangarolas. Fifteen of his works have survived. His most notable work is a painting of the Virgin and Child.
Mary Magdalene is a tempera painting by Konstantinos Tzanes. Tzanes was a Greek painter active during the late Cretan Renaissance. Tzanes and his brothers migrated from Crete to Venice. His brother was famous painter Emmanuel Tzanes. They were both active during the 17th century. Twenty-one of his paintings survived. Both brothers uniquely contributed to the maniera greca. They made drastic improvements to the style redefining space and color. Their work is comparable to Michael Damaskinos.
The Crucifixion is an egg tempera painting created by Ioannis Moskos. Moskos was a Greek painter originally from Crete. He migrated to Venice. Two other painters named Moskos were active during the same period. Their names were Elias Moskos and Leos Moskos. Leos and Ioannis were both in Venice during the same period. Ioannis was a member of the Late Cretan School. He was active from 1650 to 1721. Forty-four of his paintings survived.
The Last Judgment also known as the Second Coming is a painting by Leos Moskos. His artistic legacy was during the 17th century. Twenty of his paintings survived. He shared the same last name as Elias Moskos and Ioannis Moskos, they may have been related. All three painters flourished during the same period. Moskos worked all over Europe namely, Crete, Zakynthos, and Venice. His student was famous painter Nikolaos Doxaras.
The Crucifixion is a tempera painting by Konstantinos Paleokapas. Paleokapas was a Greek painter from the island of Crete. He was active during the early part of the 1600s. Six of his works survived, four are signed. The Crucifixion is one of the most popular events in human history. The scene has been duplicated countless times. Many crucifixion paintings were created by painters from the island of Crete. Some painters included El Greco, Andreas Pavias, Georgios Markazinis and Ioannis Moskos. Paleokapas created his own version of the popular subject. His crucifixion painting followed the prototype of many other paintings thematically. He added both the dice players and the resurrection of the dead. Andreas Pavias’s The Crucifixion (Pavias) and Margkazinis’s The Crucifixion (Margkazinis) both feature the popular pictorial representation of Mathews gospel. Paleokapas’s Crucifixion is located at the Gonia Monastery in Crete.
The Virgin and Child on Bronze is an egg tempera painting by Greek painter Elias Moskos. Moskos was originally from Crete. The painter migrated to Zakinthos. Two other painters with the name Moskos were active during his lifetime. They were Ioannis Moskos and Leos Moskos. All three painters were affiliated with Venice. Fifty-two of Elias's paintings survived. It is difficult to characterize the work of some painters belonging to the late Cretan School. Some artists also belong to the Heptanese School. The technical migration from the maniera Greca of Cretan-Venetian painting to the more refined Ionian-Venetian style is visible in the works of Elias Moskos and Theodoros Poulakis. His painting of the Virgin and Child drastically migrates from the traditional mannerism prevalent in Cretan painting. The painting clearly belongs to the Heptanese School. His painting of the Virgin and Child is at the Benaki Museum in Athens Greece.
Jacob’s Ladder is a tempera painting created by Elias Moskos. Elias was a Greek painter originally from the island of Crete. By the 1650s he was living on the island of Zakynthos. He also worked on the island of Kefalonia. There were two other painters active during his lifetime with the same last name. Ioannis Moskos and Leos Moskos. The painter was also a prominent teacher. He also had a sizable fortune. Fifty-two of his paintings survived. He represented the Cretan School and the Heptanese School. His works typically combine both schools. His work was heavily influenced by engravings from all over the world some were Flemish. His artistic activity ranged from 1629 to 1687. Most of his remaining works are in Greece and Italy.
Triptych of the Last Judgement is a tempera-painted triptych created by Cretan Renaissance painter Georgios Klontzas. Klontzas was active in Crete during the later part of the 16th century. El Greco was active around the same period and was also from Crete. Klontzas was hired to assess his work. Klontzas completed tempera paintings, triptychs, and illuminated manuscripts. His existing catalog comprises over fifty-four pieces of his art. Klontzas frequently painted the theme of the Last Judgment. Some of his well-known works include The Last Judgement Triptych (Klontzas) and The Last Judgment (Klontzas). The Vatican owns Triptych of the Just in Glory also created by Klontzas which also features the Last Judgment.
