The Cretan painter Theophanis - The wall-paintings of the Holy Monastery of Stavronikita

In the following detailed study the Academician Manolis Chatzidakis reaches with circumspection and love his final assessment of Theophanis and his work. He stresses the anthropocentric quality of his art and testifies to “Theophanis’ love for man”, his “ceaseless preoccupation with and concern for” him.

It is indeed true that the respect and honour accorded to man in this iconographic world are great. One cannot but be aware of it. Living, however, as monks within the liturgical space of the Monastery not only do we discern the “concern” of man for man but, more than this, we feel God’s love embracing man and nourishing man with His grace and His life. And we see this made manifest endlessly in all Theophanis’ iconographical work.

Table of contents

PATRIARCHAL BLESSING ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH DIMITRIOS I. 9
THEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY ARCHIMANDRITE VASILEIOS, ABBOT OF THE HOLY MONASTERY OF STAVRONIKITA.11
THE CRETAN PAINTER THEOPHANIS MANOLIS CHATZIDAKIS, ACADEMICIAN.31
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.35
THE ICONOGRAPHIC PROGRAMMES.45
PROBLEMS OF ICONOGRAPHY. TRADITION AND INNOVATION.65
ICONOGRAPHIC SUPPLEMENT.88
TECHNICAL METHOLOGY AND STYLISTIC FEATURES THE FINAL ASSESSMENT.111
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ABBREVIATED BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES.120
THE WALL-PAINTINGS.127
ARCHITECTURE. ARRANGEMENT OF WALL-PAINTINGS.303
CATALOGUES AND INDEX.315
TABLE OF CONTENTS.319