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The Painter Markos the Iberian in the Iviron Monastery on Mt Athos

Articles

• Τσιγαρίδας, Ευθύμιος
• ΤΣΙΓΑΡΙΔΑΣ, Ευθύμιος Ν.

Jf particular interest for the presence of Georgian artists on Mt Athos is the depiction of the Iberian painter Markos, unknown in the bibliography, in the representation of the donors of the katholikon of the Iviron monastery (Fig. 1). The historical persons illustrated in this scene, which is preserved in an independent panel on the south wall of the south vault of the katholikon, are identified by the accompanying inscriptions as follows: left, full-bodied and frontal, in pose of intercession, holding a cross in the right hand, the Voevod, Prince of Wallachia, Mihnea II (Fig. 2), accompanied by his son Radu, who is shown as a child (Fig. 4); right, the Prior Sire Gabriel, accompanied by a hieromonk, Ο TPICOÄBIOC KYPIOC MAPKOC ΟIBHP K(AI) ΖΩΓΡΑΦΟΟ (The thrice-felicitous Sire Markos the Iberian and painter). Mihnea II was Prince of Wallachia for two terms, 1577-1583 and 1585-1591. His portrayal in the donor representation is linked presumably with sponsoring the decoration of the katholikon of the Iviron monastery, which work the depicted painter Markos, who hailed from Iberia, apparently undertook to execute or complete. The depiction of the painter's portrait, established practice in Western painting, was by no means usual in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine art. Since the painter Markos the Iberian is depicted together with the Prince of Wallachia Mihnea II, he must have lived in the second half of the sixteenth century and was a hieromonk at the time he worked, most probably, on the decoration of the katholikon of the Iviron monastery. As far as I know, he is not otherwise known as an artist, since no signature or portrait of his exists in other monuments or on portable icons on the Holy Mountain or in his native Georgia. Nevertheless, his depiction in the donor representation in the katholikon of the Iviron monastery, where the inscription accompanying him refers to his status as a painter and not as a monk, indicates that he was conscious of his personality as an artist and that he was respected in the community of monks in the Iviron monastery, if not on Mt Athos. Apart from the possible participation of Markos in the decoration of the katholikon of the Iviron monastery, we have recently ascribed to the same artist two door panels of large dimensions (233x80 cm.) preserved in the same monastery. Depicted on these, in addition to Christ and the Virgin, are two laymen in intercession, who have been identified as the Prince of Wallachia Mihnea II and his son Radu, the same persons as appear together with the painter Markos in the donor representation in the katholikon.

• History and Archaeology
• Arts

• Arts and religion

• http://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/deltion/article/view/4158
• http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/dchae.387