Euphrosynos (; ) was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was a priest and influenced by

Byzantine art Byzantine art comprises the body of artistic products of the Eastern Roman Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from the decline of Rome, decline of western Rome and ...

and the early

Cretan school 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, beco ...

. Five of his works have survived, all of them are in Greece. His technique resembled the works of Andreas Pavias,

Angelos Akotantos Angelos Akotantos (; 1390–1457) was a Greek painter, educator, and protopsaltis. He painted icons in the Italo-Byzantine, maniera greca, at a time when that style was moving away from the traditions of the Byzantine Empire and towards the more r ...

, and Andreas Ritzos. Euphrosynos may have been a member of the prominent Klontzas family. His paintings of the Virgin Mary and Jesus are typical Cretan school paintings. His Jesus painting resembles Pavias's painting ''Christ Pantocrator''. All of his works are at Mount Athos in the

Dionysiou Monastery Dionysiou Monastery () is an Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox monastery at the monastic state of Monastic community of Mount Athos, Mount Athos in Greece, at the southwest part of the Athos peninsula. The monastery ranks fifth in the hier ...

. They decorate the iconostasis. Fragkos Katelanos and Theophanes the Cretan were also working at

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

around the same period.

History

Euphrosynos was born in Crete sometime in the 16th century. He was a priest. The only information regarding his life remains in five icons. His icons are in the

, Greece. His style resembles Theophanes the Cretan. There are rumors within the historical community that he was a member of the Klontzas family. In 1567, a priest is mentioned by the name Euphrosynos Klontzas. Regrettably, there is no record indicating that Euphrosynos Klontzas was a painter. His paintings resemble the typical

Michael Damaskinos Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos (also Damaskinos) (, 1530/35–1592/93) was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter. He is a major representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries. Pain ...

was also active in Crete around the same period. Euphrosynos's paintings are dated around 1542. They are of ''Jesus'', ''the Virgin Mary'', ''John the Baptist'', ''Peters'', and ''Paul''. His signature was Γραφέος θύτου τεΰξεν χείρ ταπεινού Ευφρόσυνου.

Gallery

File:Euphrosinos,_Dyonisiou,_St._Peter.jpg, St. Peter File:Euphrosinos, Dyonisiou, Virgin Mary.jpg, The Virgin Mary File:Euphrosinos, Dyonisiou, Jesus Christ Pantocrator.jpg, Jesus Christ Pantocrator File:Euphrosinos, Dyonisiou, St. John the Baptist.jpg, St. John the Baptist File:Euphrosinos, Dyonisiou, St. Paul.jpg, St. Paul

References

{{Cretan Renaissance Cretan Renaissance painters People from Crete 16th-century Greek painters Greek icon painters