Georgios Kastrofylakas (, 1699/1705 – 1760/1770), also known as Georgios Kastrofylax or (Zorzis). He is one of the few Greek painters that remained in Crete. Others included Ioannis Kornaros. Kornaros was his student. Kastrofylakas followed the lines of the

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 ...

. His work was influenced by legendary artists such as

Georgios Klontzas Georgios Klontzas (; 1535–1608), also known as George Klontzas or Zorzi Cloza dito Cristianopullo, was a Greek scholar and painter of the Cretan school, Cretan Renaissance. He is one of the most influential artists of the post-Byzantine period, ...

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 ...

and

Angelos The House of Angelos (; pl. Angeloi; , pl. ) was a Byzantine Greek noble family that produced several Emperors and other prominent nobles during the middle and late Byzantine Empire. The family rose to prominence through the marriage of its foun ...

. Historians argue Kastrofylakas had many students due to the resemblance of his work. He belongs to the Neo-Hellenikos Diafotismos in painting and the Greek

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

period. He influenced countless Greek iconographers. Thirty-six paintings are attributed to Kastrofylakas. The artist added more realism to his paintings. Most of his artwork is in

Heraklion Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital city, capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion (regional unit), Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in G ...

, Crete. His most notable work is the Adoration of the Magi.

History

Kastrofylakas was born in Crete. Many of the artists migrated to Venice and the Ionian islands. Not much is known about his life. Historians used his signature to create a timeline of his works. His work is dated between 1719 and 1760. He stayed on the island of Crete; his workshop was active in

. Two painters Polychronious and Ioannis Kornaros may have studied with Kastrofylakas. He painted theological themes. In his painting of

Agios Minas Agios Minas () is a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located on the central east coast of the isla ...

the horse has more depth. The painting escapes the traditional style and creates more realism. His paintings often have more decoration in line with the Greek

period. His beheading of John the Baptist is clearly influenced by

. One of his notable works is at

Saint Catherine's Monastery Saint Catherine's Monastery ( , ), officially the Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, is a Christian monastery located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Located at the foot of Mount Sinai ...

in Sinai, Egypt. Hatzidakis, 1997, pp 73-74

Gallery

File:Γεώργιος Καστροφύλακας - Άγιος Μήνας 7720.jpg,

Menas of Egypt Menas of Egypt (also Mina, Minas, Mena, Meena; ; ; 285 – c. 309), a martyr and wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Coptic saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession and prayers. ...

File:Γεώργιος Καστροφύλακας - το μαρτύριο του Αγίου Ιωάννη Προδρόμου 5204.jpg, Beheading of John the Baptist File:Γεώργιος Καστροφύλακας - Άγιος Χαράλαμπος και σκηνές από τον βίο του 7715.jpg,

Saint Charalambos Saint Charalambos or Haralambos () was an early Christian priest in Magnesia on the Maeander, a city in Asia Minor, in the diocese of the same name. His name means ''glowing with joy'' in Greek. He lived during the reign of Septimius Severus ...

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kastrofylakas, Georgios 18th-century Greek painters People from Heraklion 1699 births 1760 deaths