Fragkos Katelanos ( el, Φράγγος Κατελλάνος, 1510/20 - 1590) was a Greek painter. He specialized in icon and fresco-painting. His work resembles the Byzantine style of painting with attributes of the Cretan School. His work coincided with Theophanes the Cretan geographically and chronologically. His frescoes can be found in different parts of Greece. His signed work can be found at the Monastery of Great Lavra at

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

. He is one of few Greek artists that were not associated with Venice or Crete. He mainly worked out of

Ioannina Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...

. He was very popular during his time. Theophanes the Cretan was also associated with

but he traveled back to Crete. He also spread the Cretan School to mainland Greece. Both Theophanes the Cretan, Katelanos influenced famous artist Dionysius of Fourna. Katelanos's frescos can be found all over Greece, including at Kozani,

, Kastoria and the Monastery of Varlaam in Meteora.

History

Katelanos was born in Thebes during the Ottoman occupation of Greece. He was a fresco and icon painter. Not much is known about his life. He had a successful painting workshop. His workshop was centered around

. He is one of few known painters that operated in Mainland Greece. There is no record of him in Venice or Crete. He painted frescoes in churches at

, Kastoria, Kozani,

, and the Monastery of Varlaam in Meteora. His signature was recorded at

in 1560. His work is dated between 1539 and 1590. He painted primarily in the Byzantine style but due to his exposure to the work of the Cretan School. He can fall into both categories. Some monasteries preferred the classical style of Byzantine fresco painting. Other painters who painted frescoes in the Byzantine style were

Theodore Apsevdis Theodore Apsevdis ( el, Θεόδωρος Αψευδής) was a Greek painter assumed to be from Constantinople. He is one of the few Byzantine painters known by name. His contemporary in Italy was Alberto Sotio; both painters were active during t ...

Ioannis Pagomenos Ioannis Pagomenos ( el, Ιωάννης Παγωμένος, c.1285–after 1340) was a Greek painter in the Byzantine style active in Venetian-ruled Crete. He created fresco cycles for rural Orthodox churches under commission from ordinary members ...

Manuel Panselinos Manuel Panselinos ( el, Μανουήλ Πανσέληνος) was a Byzantine painter and writer of the Palaeologan Renaissance, known for introducing pathos into frescos, murals and especially icons from the 13th and 14th centuries. He was active ...

, Theophanes the Cretan,

Michael Astrapas and Eutychios Michael Astrapas and Eutychios ( el, Μιχαήλ Αστραπάς και Ευτύχιος (flourished 1294 to 1317) were Roman (Byzantine) painters from Thessaloniki. They had a very active workshop in the area and some of their work survived. ...

. His works influenced countless artists.

Gallery

File:Fragkos Katelanos Saint Demetrios.png, Saint Demetrios File:Fragkos Katelanos Saint Sebastian.png, Saint Sebastian File:Varlaam11.png, Betrayal of Judas

Notable works

Frescoes

*Chapel of Agios Nikolaos, Megisti Lavra,

Katholikon A ''katholikon'' or catholicon ( gr, καθολικόν) or ''sobor'' ( Slavonic: съборъ) refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church: * The cathedral of a diocese. * The major church building (temple) of a monastery corre ...

of the Monastery of Myrtia, 1539,

Lake Trichonida Lake Trichonida ( el, Λίμνη Τριχωνίδα ''Limni Trichonida'', Ancient Greek: Τριχωνίς ''Trichonis'') is the largest natural lake in Greece. It is situated in the eastern part of Aetolia-Acarnania, southeast of the city of Agrin ...

, Aetolia-Acarnania *Monastery of the Philanthropenoi (dome of the main temple and wall drums, upper part of a narthex), 1542, Island of

*Katholikon of Barlaam monastery (main temple), 1548, Meteora

References

Sources

* {{authority control 1515 births 1590 deaths 16th-century Greek painters People from Thebes, Greece Greeks from the Ottoman Empire Cretan Renaissance painters