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 Last Judgment is part of the eschatology of the Abrahamic religions and in the Frashokereti of Zoroastrianism.
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.
Georgios Klontzas also known as George Klontzas and Zorzi Cloza dito Cristianopullo. He was a scholar, painter, and manuscript illuminator. He is one of the most influential artists of the post-Byzantine period. He defined the Cretan Renaissance. He worked for both Catholic and Orthodox patrons. His artistic output included: icons, miniatures, triptychs, and illuminated manuscripts. He is known for occupying his icons with countless figures. The technique is extremely complex and unique to Klontzas. Andreas Pavias attempted this technique in the Crucifixion of Jesus. Klontzas's painting All Creation rejoices in thee is his most popular work. Klontzas influenced Theodore Poulakis he created an extremely similar painting called In Thee Rejoiceth. Klontzas's work is strongly influenced by the Venetian school. His triptychs strongly resemble the works of Gentile da Fabriano, namely the Intercession Altarpiece. Klontzas's Last Judgement resembles Michelangelo's Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. There are very close similarities. There is no indication that Klontzas saw the work but it is a possibility. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research fifty-four items of his art exist today.
Frantzeskos or Franghias Kavertzas was a Greek painter. His painting style resembles the late Cretan School or early Greek Baroque period. His work was influenced by Georgios Klontzas, Michael Damaskinos and Emmanuel Tzanfournaris. He was active in Crete during the early part of the 17th century roughly after the death of Georgios Klontzas. He painted two icons that are very similar to Klontzas's most notable pieces. Theodore Poulakis also painted similar themes. Kavertzas artwork incorporates the Venetian school. His works influenced Leos Moskos. His most notable works are the Last Judgement, In You Rejoiceth.
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.
Emmanuel Skordilis, also known as Emmanouil Skordilis. He was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was active in Crete around the time Emmanuel Tzanes, Elias Moskos, and Philotheos Skoufos were painting in Crete. He belongs to the elite group of Greek painters that followed the Venetian influenced maniera greca in Crete. Sixty eight of his works survived. He is one of few artists to not travel to the Ionian Islands and participate in the Heptanese School. He eventually settled in the Cyclades on the inland of Milos. Christodoulos Kalergis is another prominent Greek artist associated with the Cyclades, he was from Mykonos. Skordilis was influenced by Georgios Klontzas, Michael Damaskinos and Angelos. Skordilis brought the artistic style of Crete to the Cyclades and influenced countless artists in that region.
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.
In Thee Rejoiceth also known as Epi Si Harri is a tempera and gold leaf painting by Georgios Klontzas. The painting is a tribute to the Virgin Mary. Klontzas was active on the island of Crete during the second half of the 16th century. He was a member of the Cretan School. He was one of the most prolific Greek painters of the 16th century. Most of his works were copied by other artists. The In Thee Rejoiceth painting was copied by countless Greek and Italian painters. Theodore Poulakis created a version in the 17 century that is very similar to Klontzas's In Thee Rejoiceth. Franghias Kavertzas also painted a similar theme. He called his painting In You Rejoices. Leos Moskos also created his version of the popular painting. The Klontzas painting is currently at the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies Museum in Venice.
In Thee Rejoiceth also known as Epi Si Harri is a tempera and gold leaf painting by Theodore Poulakis. The central figure of the piece is the Virgin Mary. The painting is a tribute to her. Poulakis was from Chania Crete. He was active on the Ionian islands and in Venice during the second half of the 17th century. He was a member of the Cretan School and the father of the Heptanese School. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, 130 paintings are attributed to Poulakis.
The Last Judgement Triptych is a triptych by Georgios Klontzas. Klontzas was a Greek painter and prominent member of the Cretan School. He is likened to El Greco and Michael Damaskinos. His artistic period was between 1550 and 1608. He had a workshop in Heraklion, Crete. He created many forms of art such as triptychs, portable icons or paintings, and manuscripts. Klontzas created several versions of the Last Judgment or Second Coming. His The Last Judgment also features the same theme but is a painting, not a triptych. Klontzas also created other triptychs.
The Last Judgment also known as The Second Coming is an egg tempera painting by Francheskos Kavertzas. His artistic period was during the first part of the 17th century. Seven of his works survived, five were signed. He was a member of the late Cretan School. The Last Judgment painted by Georgios Klontzas inspired countless Cretan artists, Kavertzas was one of them. Kavertzas's painting In You Rejoiceth strongly resembles Klontzas's In Thee Rejoiceth. Leos Moskos was also inspired by Klontzas's work. He also painted a similar version of The Last Judgment. The final judgment is the last judgment of every person on earth. The painting is a pictural representation of that event. The Kavertzas The Last Judgment is unique because it features a nun. Her name was Evgenia Trapezontiopoulla. According to records on March 9, 1641, the nun could not afford to pay for the painting. Kavertzas and the nun bartered instead. The painting is part of the collection of the Hellenic Institute of Venice in Italy.
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 Virgin Pantanassa is a tempera painting by Andreas Ritzos. Ritzos was a Greek painter active on the island of Crete. He flourished from 1435 to 1492. The painter has an existing catalog of over sixty works attributed to him. He signed his works in both Greek and Latin. He is one of the most influential painters of the Cretan Renaissance. He painted in the traditional Greek-Italian Byzantine style. His work was also heavily influenced by Venetian painting. His teacher was Angelos Akotantos. He was also affiliated with Andreas Pavias. His son was famous Greek painter Nikolaos Ritzos. Ritzo's Italian contemporaries were Paolo Uccello and Fra Angelico. They all painted a mixture of the Greek-Italian Byzantine and Italian Renaissance styles. The art of Crete was heavily influenced by the founder of the Venetian school Paolo Veneziano.
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.
Transfiguration and Monastic Scenes is a multi-themed tempera painting created by Greek painter Georgios Klontzas. Klontzas was a Cretan Renaissance painter. The artist was hired to assess work completed by El Greco. Klontzas was from a wealthy family and owned a successful workshop in the center of Crete. His existing catalog consists of Fifty-four works. He completed incredible triptychs and manuscripts. Klontzas and Micheal Damaskinos are two of the most prominent Greek painters of the 16th century due to the size of their catalogs and the popularity of their works excluding El Greco.
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.
