Georgios Nomikos (; 1638/1643 – 1712) was a Greek

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

painter. He converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

from

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

. He was a member 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 ...

and the Heptanese (Ionian) school. His contemporaries were Georgios Kastrofylakas,

Theodore Poulakis Theodore Poulakis (; 1622–1692) was a Greek Renaissance painter and teacher. He is considered the father of the Heptanese school and one of the most prolific painters of Venetian Crete. Poulakis was a member of the Cretan school, his contemp ...

, and

Georgios Markou Georgios Markou (; 1690–1770) also known as Georgios Markou of Argos (. He was a Greek fresco and icon painter. He was active during the Greek Baroque and Rocco periods. He was an artistic representative of the Neo-Hellenikos Diafotismos. He ...

. He shared the same last name with famous Greek painter Demetrios Nomikos. He was active on the island of

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; ; ) or Zante (, , ; ; from the Venetian language, Venetian form, traditionally Latinized as Zacynthus) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an are ...

Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia (), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallonia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th-largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It is also a separate regio ...

Arta and

Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

. Six of his paintings survived. Some of his

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s have survived in the destroyed church of Saint George in Lingiades, Ioannina. His work represents an evolution from the art of

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

Elias Moskos Ilias or Elias Moskos (; 1620/1629- January 26, 1687) was a Greek educator, shipping merchant and painter from Crete. The last name Moskos was associated with three famous painters of the Cretan school alive during the same period, along with Io ...

to a more refined technique influenced by the art of the

Ionian Islands The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ) are a archipelago, group of islands in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese ("Seven Islands"; , ''Heptanēsa'' or , ''Heptanē ...

History

He was born on the island of Crete during the middle of the 17th century. Records exist from 1672-1705. He was born to a Jewish family. He converted to Christianity to become a painter and monk. The first existing record of Georgios was around 1672. He was working as a painter on the island of

. According to the signature on one of his icons, he converted to Christianity in 1676. On May 9, 1687, he was enlisted as a brother of the Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Xenon in

. He was hired to paint the iconostasis. His name was also found in the church of Faneromeni in

. In 1699, according to signatures and dates on two icons and a

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

the painter was in Arta. In 1705, he was in

. He painted frescos at the destroyed church of Agios Georgios in the village of Lingiades. The inscription in the church reveals that the painter came from Crete. That same year the painter created a despotic icon of Christ for the monastery of Vyliza in the village of Matsouki, Ioannina. The painter died around 1712. The signature on his work was χειρ Γεωργίου Νομικού ήμουνα Όβρέος καί γίνηκα Χριστιανός (by the hand of Georgios Nomikos I was a Jew and became Christian). Georgios was not the only Greek painter associated with the Jewish community. On November 19, 1499,

Andreas Pavias Andreas Pavias (; 1440 – 1504/1512) was a Greek painter and educator, one of the founding fathers of the Cretan school. His works could be found in churches and private collections throughout Italy and Greece, where they influenced countless art ...

signed a contract to teach Aquilo Souloum. He was a Jewish youth. Pavias taught him Greek painting, reading, and writing for eight years. Papadopoulou, 2011, pp 205-222

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Georgios Nomikos 17th-century births 1712 deaths Year of birth uncertain Cretan Renaissance painters 17th-century Greek painters People from Crete 18th-century Greek painters Greek Renaissance humanists Converts to Christianity from Judaism Greek icon painters Fresco painters

History

See also

References

Bibliography