Provincial art in Epirus and Macedonia in the 16th century: influences, interactions, origins, models (original) (raw)

Hagios Nikolaos in the village of Theriakisi, 25 km south of Ioannina, is a case of a minor undocumented provincial monument belonging to the great development of local mural painting in Epirus at the end of the 16 c. Inside, the church is full of frescoes, though with significant damage on the southern wall. The iconographic program is limited to the basic scenes from the life of Christ which decorate the upper zones of the walls. In this program, dogmatic themes dominate. This is particularly obvious if we interpret the meaning of the other representations in conjunction with the Ἄνωθεν οἱ Προφῆται: Elisabeth and Mary’s embrace projects the message of the Incarnation. The most important characteristic of the iconography of Saint Nicholas in Theriakisi is the undeniable similarity with the art of West Macedonia in the 16 c., as noticed at some other provincial monuments of this era in Epirus. Adresse: Katerina Kontopanagou, Pedini Ioannina, P.O. box 363, 45500 Ioannina, Greece;