0niveisit ue FiibouigSuisse

Bpaitement ues Sciences Bistoiiques; Bomaine u'Bistoiie ue l'Ait et Aichologie

Natieie : Aichologie Palochitienne et Byzantine
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By }oaquin }aviei Esteban Naitinez
Nay 2u14
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Between the past 21
st
anu 24
th
0ctobei 2u1S the seminaiy "Painting in venetian
Ciete: fiom Byzantium to El uieco" was helu at the 0niveisity of
FiibouigSwitzeilanu, by the piofessoi Naiia vassilaki.
This seminaiy intiouuceu the ieligious icon piouuction in the venetian occupieu
Ciete, fiom the beginning of the 1S
iu
centuiy, until the time of Bomenikos
Theotokopoulos, !" $%&'(, in the 16
th
centuiy.
Aftei the establishment in the islanu of the venetians in 121u we obseiveu a veiy iich
anu famous piouuction of ieligious icons, with both 0iiental anu 0cciuental
influences. We leaineu about the constiuction of chuiches anu about some icon
painteis, whose woik is well attesteu by the official uocuments holu by the
buieauciacy of )* +&%&,-..-/*. The main question is: Why uiu Ciete become such an
impoitant piouuction centie of ieligious icon painting.
The stiuctuie of this shoit valiuation woik follows that of oui seminaiy, whose thiee
main axes weie: 1 Bistoiical backgiounu, 2 Religious icon painting in venetian
Ciete, anu S The figuie anu the woik of 0,1&"(. 02(3*,3(.. With a necessaiy
histoiical backgiounu we leaineu about the special situation of the big Neuiteiianean
islanu uuiing the time of the venetian leaueiship, especially at the 1S
th
centuiy.
Afteiwaius we analyseu the icon piouuction in venetian Ciete, focusing piecisely on
that centuiy. Finally, we leaint about some Cietan authois, but mainly about the
figuie of 0,1&"(. 02(3*,3(., the most impoitant paintei of his time, whose woik is
well known by oui seminaiy's teachei aftei long-time scientific ieseaich. The
seminaiy incluueu also a veiy illustiative visit to the 45.&5/ (6 0%3 *,7 8-.3(%9 (6
$&,&:*, wheie a iich collection of Cietan icons is uisplayeu.
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The ;9<*,3-,& !/=-%&, aftei the Latin conquest in the eaily 1S
th
centuiy onwaius,
languisheu in a long anu slow uecauence. Since the late 14
th
centuiy most of his
possessions began to shiink to the point of uisappeaiance. Thus, as much of the
hinteilanu was alieauy in the hanus of the >33(/*,., the no-longei-existent empiie
was ill to ueau, with shaip social anu economical uivisions. Its capital, ?(,.3*,3-,(="&,
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was like an islanu in a hostile sea, uiiectly thieateu by the 0ttoman piesence. The
economy was piimaiily baseu on tiaue, anu thus highly influenceu by the two
maiitime poweis of the time, @&,-'& anu $&,(*; they contiolleu the seas anu the
communications system, anu helu a viitual monopoly of long-uistance tiaue.
Alieauy on 12u4, the same yeai the Fouith Ciusaue has conqueieu Constantinople,
the foimei byzantine AB&/& oi C%(:-,'& (6 ?%&3& was fiistly offeieu by the ciusaueis
to the king of Fiance, who some yeais latei solu it to the Republic of venice. 0n 121u
the venetian aimy took ?*,7-* (touay Iiklion), the laigest city anu the majoi poit of
Byzantine Ciete, anu on 12S2 the islanu's seconu city, ?*,&* (piesently Chania). The
venetian iule on the islanu holu foi moie than foui centuiies, as an oveiseas colony
anu eastein bastion of the D&=5E"-' (6 @&,-'& in the Neuiteiianean Sea, until its fall to
the 0ttoman Empiie on 1669.
In the ieligious aspect, in all the teiiitoiies conqueieu by the 0cciuental Ciusaueis, a
ioman-catholic hieiaichy was imposeu. Aftei the fall of Constantinople in 12u4 the
sepaiation of the Chuich became shaipei than nevei; ieconciliation between both
"uieek" anu "Latin" Chuiches was seen almost utopic.
In the time that followeu the schism of the Chuich the venetians hau all the inteiest
to piomote a iappiochement of the Chuiches. The ?(5,'-" (6 F&%%*%*GF"(%&,'& (14S8-
19S9) tiieu to impose a union of the Westein anu Eastein Chuiches. But in spite of
the venetian authoiities' effoits to consoliuate this weak union, at the enu it hau little
oi no effect, because of its non-acceptation by the ecclesial consciousness of the
Chiistian East. The 0iientals, incluueu the Cietan, stubboinly iefuseu to confoim the
Floientine teim, anu obstinately iefuseu the papal unionist policy. Theii language,
theii uoctiine anu theii common oiigin weie the factois that, on the one hanu, kept
them uniteu anu bounueu them with the populations of the moiibunu Byzantine state
anu that, on the othei, uiffeientiateu them fiom the foieign 0cciuentals.
Although the tensions piouuceu by the ieligious uisputes weie not negligible, in the
eveiyuay piaxis of the D&1,( 7- ?*,7-*, wheie ielations with the venetians weie not
connecteu with ieligious compulsions, the way foi peaceful coexistence anu the
inteimingling of the two woilus was open.
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The venetian-occupieu islanu of Ciete, with its stiong maiitime activity, piospeieu
laigely anu became a veiy living commeicial anu cultuial centie, a majoi
Neuiteiianean empoiium, which ieacheu a peak in the fiist half of the 1S
th
centuiy. A
big vaiiety of meichanuise was hanuleu back anu foith between East anu West,
incluuing some Cietan piouucts well appieciateu in 0cciuent, especially wine anu
cheese. Commensuiate with the mobility of meichanuise was that of people -
incluueu pilgiims to anu fiom the )&:*,3-, anu thus Ciete became a place of
inteiaction anu tiansaction foi a population of uiffeient ethnic anu social oiigins. This
flouiishing situation beneficiateu venetians, but also autochthons Cietans: They weie
exposeu to new expeiiences anu iueas, so bioauening the hoiizons of theii woilu.
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Alieauy fiom the 1S
iu
centuiy onwaius -centuiy consiueieu as a "centuiy of
piepaiation", with incieasing "Westein feeling"-, the uieek population of Ciete was
exposeu to the on-going D&,*-..*,'& cultuie. Thus, most icon painteis establish theie
weie able to execute woiks both -, 6(%/* 1%&'* oi -, 6(%/* "*3-,*.
Buiing 14
th
centuiy, the centie of aitistic piouuction was uefinitively tiansfeiieu
fiom the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, to the capital of venetian-occupieu
Ciete, Canuia. Some Constantinopolitan painteis (Alexios anu Angelos Apokafkos,
Nikolaos Philanthopenos etc.) weie establisheu in Canuia alieauy fiom this time. The
piototypes of the impeiial capital aie the fine mosaics anu fiescoes of the ?B(%*
monasteiy (ca. 1S1S-1S2u), the masteiwoik of the C*"*&("(1-*, D&,*-..*,'&, as well
as the mosaics in the C*//*2*%-.3(. monasteiy (ca. 1SuS-1S1u). An impoitant
influence was also exeiciseu by some chuiches anu monasteiies in Thessaloniki,
Nystias, Neteoia anu Nount Athos.
Ciete became a majoi aitistic centie in the fiist half of the 1S
th
centuiy. The collapse
of the Byzantine Empiie in 14SS favouieu the islanu to become the most impoitant
centie of Chiistian ait piouuction in the East Neuiteiianean. A huge piogiam of
chuich constiuction anu uecoiation with both fiesco anu icon painting is attesteu by
notaiial uocuments uiafteu aiounu that time.
In 1S
th
centuiy Ciete a unique aitistic milieu was cieateu, which piouuceu some of
the masteiwoiks of the time. Angelos Akotantos, Anuieas Ritzos, Anuieas Pavias,
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Angelos Bitzamanos, just to cite a few names, belongeu to the so-calleu "Cietan
School". Last but not least - although fiom a lattei time-, we shoulu name Bomenikos
Theotokopoulos, uubbeu !" $%&'( (1S41-1614), who was boin in Canuia anu staiteu
his caieei in venetian occupieu Ciete, befoie leaving foi Italy anu Spain.
The ieligious painting piouuction in that time was a paiticulai foim of late byzantine
scenes with influences fiom both 0iient (Constantinople, Sinai) anu 0cciuent. Thus,
some 0cciuental influences aie obseiveu both in the thematic (Fiancis of Assisi, the
embiacement of St. Petei anu St. Paul, etc.) as in the methous utiliseu.
It is woith to iemaik the significance of 1S
th
centuiy Cietan painteis, such as Angelos
Akotantos, in the foimation of a peivasive aitistic iuentity thought the islanu.
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Angelos Akotantos (uieu 14Su) liveu anu woikeu in venetian Canuia. Be was fiist-
chantei anu icon-paintei, a piospeious citizen anu an impoitant intellectual of his
time. By ieauing attentively his will, uateu 14S6, we leain some biogiaphical uata. Be
hau veiy goou ielationships with the 4(,*.3&%9 (6 @*".*/(,&%(, wheie the
veneiation of St Phanuiios was fiistly intiouuceu in Ciete. Like the abbot of this
monasteiy, Angelos piobably belongeu to the pio-unionist paity. 0n the othei siue
Angelos shoulu have hau a close ielationship with the 4(,*.3&%9 (6 +3 ?*3B&%-,& in the
Sinai anu its /&3('B-(, (uepenuency) in Canuia.
Appaiently, Angelos hau a well, fiist-hanu knowleuge of the iich Constantinopolitan
ait piouuceu in the Byzantine capital the pieceuent centuiy. Be was in contact with
some Constantinopolitan painteis establisheu in Canuia, anu he must have leaineu
fiom them the ait of painting. That shoulu explicate the close iconogiaphic anu
stylistic affinity between Angelos' icons of anu those attiibuteu to the afoiementioneu
painteis. 0n the othei hanu, he was also influenceu by the woik of 14
th
centuiy
venetian painteis, especially Paolo veneziano. Angelos was able to haimoniously
combine Byzantine anu Westein tiauitions.
The aitistic piouuction of Angelos was so laige anu appieciateu alieauy at his time
that "it woulu be no exaggeiation to say that he was the Bomenikos Theotokopoulos
(El uieco) of the fifteenth centuiy" (N. vassilaki). A seiies of supeib Cietan icons by
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Angelos still exist to oui uays, conseiveu mainly in the Athenian museums Byzantine
anu Benaki, as well as in the 4(,*.3&%9 (6 +3 H(B, in Patmos anu in the islanu of Zante.
At least twenty of his woiks beai the chaiacteiistic signatuie "XEIP AIIEA0Y" (by the
hanu of Angelos), uiawn in the classic Byzantine fashion:

It seems that Angelos intiouuceu into Cietan painting new iconogiaphic types, such
as "St Phanouiios", "St ueoige on Boiseback Slaying the Biagon", "Chiist the vine",
"the Beesis" (oi "the Inteicession"), "The Embiace of the Apostles Petei anu Paul" etc.
These weie to become veiy populai subjects among the painteis contempoiaiy oi
latei to him.
As it has been saiu, Angelos coulu have counteu to the pio-unionist paity, which was
veiy active within the peiiou befoie anu aftei the union pioclaimeu in Floience in
}uly 14S9. Nany scholaiships have seen in this pio-union policy the explanation foi
the intiouuction by Angelos of the iconogiaphic theme "The Embiace of the Apostles
Petei anu Paul", since this theme symbolises the iuea of ecumenical peace of Westein
anu Eastein Chuiches.
Buiing the seconu quaitei of the fifteenth centuiy, Angelos was the leauing aitistic
peisonality in venetian Ciete, anu some impoitant icon-painteis of the seconu half of
that centuiy shoulu have been theii uisciples: Anuieas Ritzos, Anuieas Pavias anu
Nikolaos Tzafouiis. The influence of Angelos can be tiaceu even in painteis active fai
away fiom his time, like Bomenikos Theotokopoulos, !" $%&'(, uuiing his Cietan
peiiou.
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In the D&1,( 7- ?*,7-* of aiounu 14uu an extiaoiuinaiy aitistic phenomenon
happeneu: Fiistly the fully uevelopeu, iich aitistic expiession of the Late Byzantine
ait, the C*"*&("(1*, D&,*-..*,'&, aiiiveu fiom Constantinople, the capital of an
otheiwise uying empiie; on the othei hanu the long-time venetian occupation
biought to the islanu the influences of the iising Italian I5*33%('&,3(, which
encompasseu, in tuin, the aitistic styles of )*3& $(3B-' anu the eaily D&,*-..*,'&. This
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inteiesting fusion of Byzantine anu westein elements, accompanieu by a piospeious
economical situation, favouieu a iich anu laige piouuction of high-quality woiks of
ieligious ait.
The ieligious icon piouuction in venetian Ciete constitutes a veiy paiticulai peiiou in
the histoiy of ait. Poitable icons anu wall fiescoes piouuceu in the islanu oi by Cietan
painteis weie alieauy at theii time, anu since then, veiy appieciateu. Some of those
masteiwoiks, which we can aumiie even touay in eastein monasteiies oi in museums
all ovei the woilu, aie the mateiialization of the uual cultuial expeiience of theii
authois.
The paintei 0,1&"(. 02(3*,3(. is the most iepiesentative figuie of his time. Bis
numeious iuentifieu woiks aie the tangible expiession of the quality of venetian
Ciete's icon painting in the seconu quaitei of the 1S
th
centuiy. Bis influence is
inuisputably gieat anu extenus on multiple levels like, e.g., the intiouuction of some
iconogiaphical subjects that theieaftei weie copieu "to the lettei" anu became veiy
populai. Angelos' iconogiaphic anu stylistic noims weie imitateu by contempoiaiy
anu latei painteis moie than that of any othei Cietan paintei.
0#>5#.&+"BE1
! vassilaki, N. (eu.) et al.: "The Banu of Angelos. An Icon Paintei in venetian
Ciete", Benaki Nuseum, Athens 2u1u.