83-98

Painting of the Three Hierarchs by Michael Damaskinos

Σύμμεικτα

• Αχειμάστου - Ποταμιάνου, Μυρτάλη

Three paintings in the D. Loverdos Collection of the Byzantine Museum today preserve the signature of Michael Dama- skinos: the imposing portraits of Christ Pantocrator (Λ332/ΣΛ282) and the Pa- naghia Hodegetria (Λ367/ΣΛ315), and a third large picture depicting the Three Hierarchs (Λ189/ΣΛ188: 86.5 x 71.6 x 2.5 cm.). During the restoration of the latter painting in 1987 (see the article by the restorer E. Anapliotou) the painter’s signature was discovered: ΧΕΙΡ ΜΙΧΑΗΛ TOY AAMA[CKHN]OY.The central figure of the three hierarchs in the painting, with a passage in the book he holds of the Great Canon, has been identified as the archbishop of Crete, St Andrew the Jerusalemite. The identity of the other two hierarchs is doubtful. The inscription with the name of the one on the left is preserved: O A[riOC] KYPIA[A OC]. They are perhaps archbishops of Crete: Cyril of Gortyn and an unidentified prelate, who could be St Titus or St Myron; or they may be archbishops of Jerusalem, and more specifically Sts Cyril and Sophronius, a hym-nographer like Andreas, whose joint festival was celebrated on the 11th of March. The life of Saint Mary of Egypt, which is attributed to the patriarch of Jerusalem, Sophronius, is read before the Great Canon of Andrew of Jerusalem during Lent.The details of the subject, an original one for a painting, and the style point to a date for the work late in the painting career of Michael Damaskinos, whose death is dated to the time of the great plague of Crete, in 1592 or 1593. It is speculated that the plague occasioned the painting of the picture. The reasoning behind this is that the reference to the good pastor of Crete implicit in the painting of the picture was in these difficult circumstances essentially ideological in content and was intended as an appeal to St Andrew, who had on other occasions miraculously saved the people of Crete from the same evil. If this suggestion is correct, the picture in the Loverdos Collection might be the last word from the hand of this great Cretan painter.

• History and Archaeology
• Arts

• Αρχαιολογία
• Χριστιανικές αρχαιότητες

βυζαντινές αρχαιότητες

Περιέχει εικόνες, Η εργασία αυτή παρουσιάστηκε ως ανακοίνωση στο Ένατο Συμπόσιο Βυζαντινής και Μεταβυζαντινής Αρχαιολογίας και Τέχνης της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας (Πρόγραμμα - Περιλήψεις εισηγήσεων και ανακοινώσεων, Αθήνα 1989