Demetrios Stavrakis (, 1735/40 – 1801), also known as the so-called Romanos () was a Greek painter of the Heptanese School. His uncles were famous painters Andreas Stavrakis and Stylianos Stavrakis, active on the island of Zakynthos. Demetrios influenced both Greek and Italian artists. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, fifteen of his works survived. His most notable work was '' The Profit Jonah''.

History

He was born on the island of Zakynthos. He was a member of an elite family of painters. His uncles were Andreas Stavrakis and Stylianos Stavrakis. His uncle Andreas died in 1785. They were his teachers. Demetrios’s nickname was Romanos. His work was the traditional Greek mannerism prevalent on the Ionian Islands. His earliest known work was dated around 1755. According to records from the demolished church of Faneromeni, he painted the Holy Table inside of the alter on August 28, 1785. Demetrios was paid forty

kuruş Kuruş ( ; ), also gurush, ersh, gersh, grush, grosha, and grosi, are all names for currency denominations in and around the territories formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. The variation in the name stems from the different languages it is us ...

. His painting of ''

Jonah Jonah the son of Amittai or Jonas ( , ) is a Jewish prophet from Gath-hepher in the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the 8th century BCE according to the Hebrew Bible. He is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, one of the minor proph ...

and the Whale'' was uncommon to the prevalent style. The spatial orientation and the use of blue were unique attributes. The nude figure in the painting expressed humanistic realism. The whale releases the profit on the shore. The whale and the naked figure can also have their roots in Ancient Greek mythology the figure has a Poseidon-like character. Another painting that brilliantly used the shade of blue was the ''Miracle of Saint Spyridon''. His signature was χειρ Δημητρίου Σταυράκη.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stavrakis, Demetrios 1735 births 1801 deaths 18th-century Greek painters People from Zakynthos Painters of the Heptanese school