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.
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.
Andreas Pavias was a Greek painter and educator, one of the founding fathers of the Cretan School. His works could be found in churches and private collections throughout Italy and Greece, where they influenced countless artists. Seven of these paintings survive today, six bearing Pavias's signature. The most famous of the group is a Crucifixion.
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.
Stephanos Tzangarolas also known as Stephano Tzangarola. He was a Greek painter during the late Cretan Renaissance. He migrated from Crete to the island of Corfu. He is a member of the Heptanese School and the Cretan Renaissance. His contemporaries at the time were Panagiotis Doxaras, Theodore Poulakis and Elias Moskos. His artwork began to reflect the transition of the classical maniera greca of Crete to the more refined style of the Ionian Islands. His style resembles the transition of Gentile da Fabriano and Fra Angelico from the maniera greca to their respective styles. Tzangarolas paintings influenced countless artists both Italian and Greek. Some artists that reflect his style include Spyridon Sperantzas and Georgios Kastrofylakas. His paintings can be found all over Greece mainly Athens and the Ionian Islands. Some of his work is in Cairo and London. His student was famous Greek painter Andreas Karantinos.
Petros Lambardos, also known as Petro Lambardou or Petrus Lambardo. He was a Greek Renaissance painter from Crete. One of the earliest recorded members of the Lambardos family of painters. He comes from a famous family of painters from the island of Crete. Similar to the Bathas, Moskos, and Tzanes family. The family had many notable painters. Emmanuel Lambardos has the largest catalog of works. Two other notable painters of the same last name were Ioannis and Tzortzi Lambardos. The family were major contributors to the Cretan painting style. Three of Petros's paintings survived. The Virgin Mary painting is in Cyprus, Christ the High Priest is at the Benaki Museum and John the Baptist is in Palermo, Italy.
Euphrosynos was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was a priest and influenced by Byzantine art and the early Cretan School. Five of his works have survived, all of them are in Greece. His technique resembled the works of Andreas Pavias, Angelos Akotantos, and Andreas Ritzos. Euphrosynos may have been a member of the prominent Klontzas family. His paintings of the Virgin Mary and Jesus are typical Cretan School paintings. His Jesus painting resembles Pavias's painting Christ Pantocrator. All of his works are at Mount Athos in the Dionysiou Monastery. They decorate the iconostasis. Fragkos Katelanos and Theophanes the Cretan were also working at Mount Athos around the same period.
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.
Georgios Nomikos was a Greek painter. He converted to Christianity from Judaism. He was a Greek Baroque painter. He was a member of the Cretan School and the Heptanese School. His contemporaries were Georgios Kastrofylakas, Theodore Poulakis, and Georgios Markou. He shared the same last name with famous Greek painter Demetrios Nomikos. He was active on the island of Zakynthos, Kefalonia Arta and Ioannina. Six of his paintings survived. Some of his frescos have survived in the destroyed church of Saint George in Lingiades, Ioannina. His work represents an evolution from the art of Angelos Akotantos and Elias Moskos to a more refined technique influenced by the art of the Ionion Islands.
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 Crucifixion is a painting created by Georgio Markazini. Markazini was a Greek painter from the island of Crete. He migrated to Venice. He was active during the middle part of the 17th century. Two of the painter's works survived. The crucifixion was a very popular subject among Cretan painters. Andreas Pavias, Emmanuel Lambardos, and Theophanes the Cretan created a similar style crucifixion. The Cretan painters frequently influenced each other.
The Vision of Constantine was an egg tempera painting created by Elias Moskos. Moskos was active during the 17th century. Fifty-two paintings are attributed to the artist. He was active on the Greek islands of Crete and Zakynthos. He is one of the few artists that belongs to the Cretan school and the Heptanese School. Constantine is one of the most important figures in the Christian religion. He was the first Roman emperor to accept the new faith. He has been depicted in art since the inception of the new religion. He is often depicted with his mother Helen. The Vision of Constantine was very popular in Greek and Italian art.
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.
The Virgin Glykofilousa with the Akathist Hymn is a tempera painting created by Greek painter Stephano Tzangarola. The work is a symbol of the craftsmanship of the Heptanese School and the evolution of Greek painting from the Byzantine style to the Cretan Renaissance style. Tzangarola was originally from Crete and migrated to Corfu. The Ionian Islands became the artistic center of the Greek world. He was active from 1675 to 1710 during the Greek Baroque period and Rococo. Twenty-two of his works survived. His student was famous Greek painter and Archpriest Andreas Karantinos.
The Deposition from the Cross or Descent from the Cross is a tempera painting created by Greek painter Stylianos Stavrakis. He was active during the early part of the 1700s. His nephew and brother were also famous painters. His nephew Demetrios Stavrakis was also his pupil. He was also a goldsmith. Most of his works were completed on the island of Zakynthos. He was a representative of the Heptanese school and Greek Rococo. Fourteen of his paintings survived.
Lamentation of Christ is an oil painting created by Greek painter Nikolaos Kantounis. He was a painter and teacher. He was a priest. His teachers were famous painters Ioannis Korais and Nikolaos Koutouzis He was a representative of the Heptanese School. His artwork was created during the Neoclassical and Romantic periods in Greek art. He was active on the island of Zakynthos from 1782–1834. He was one of the earliest members of the modern Greek art period. Over 164 of his paintings have survived. He is known for painting many portraits. He was a member of the secret organization for Greek Independence called the Filiki Eteria. Towards the end of his life he was honored with the rank of Grand Sakellarios.
The Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin is a tempera painting created by Elias Moskos. Moskos was a representative of the Late Cretan School and the Heptanese School. He migrated to Zakinthos from Crete. He was originally from the city of Rethymno. He participated in the transition of Greek painting from the Cretan School to the more refined Heptanese School of the Ionian islands. He also taught painting. His activity was from 1645 to 1687. He was active on the islands of Crete, Zakynthos, and Kefalonia. He was heavily involved with church committees. Church committees commissioned paintings. Half of his works were signed fifty-two of his works survived.
