''Portrait of Gabriel Severus'' is an oil painting by

Thomas Bathas Thomas Bathas ( el, Θωμάς Μπαθάς, 1554 – 1599; also known as Tomios or Tomio, Batta Tornio) was a Greek painter, educator, and Vikar. He employed the maniera greca in some of his work but he also broke from tradition by employi ...

. Bathas was active in

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, and

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

during the second half of the 16th century. He was close friends with Gabriel Severus, the

Metropolitan of Philadelphia The Metropolis of Philadelphia ( el, Μητρόπολη Φιλαδελφείας) was an ecclesiastical territory (diocese) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in western Asia Minor, modern Turkey. Christianity in the city of Philadelph ...

, whose seat was moved from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

to Venice in 1577. According to the will of Bathas, he bequeathed Gabriel Severus a silver cup. He also made Severus the executor of his will. The portrait is one of the few works Bathas created following the prevalent technique in Venice during the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

. His typical style was the traditional ''

maniera greca Italo-Byzantine is a style term in art history, mostly used for medieval paintings produced in Italy under heavy influence from Byzantine art. It initially covers religious paintings copying or imitating the standard Byzantine icon types, but pa ...

''. The paintings were in high demand in Venice during the period.

Michael Damaskinos Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos ( el, Μιχαήλ Δαμασκηνός, 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 1 ...

and Thomas Bathas were more loyal to the ''maniera greca'' than El Greco, who completely converted to the

Spanish Renaissance The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. This new focus in art, literature, quotes and science inspired b ...

style. The ''Portrait of Gabriel Severus'' is a testimony that Baths was conversant in both styles. The portrait is now part of the collection of the Hellenic Institute of Venice in Italy. His student

Emmanuel Tzanfournaris Emmanuel Tzanfournaris ( el, Εμμανουήλ Τζανφουρνάρης, 1570 – 1630), also known as Emmanouil Manos was a Greek painter. He was a painter in Corfu and Venice. He was taught by famous painter Thomas Bathas. Emmanuel's f ...

also created his own portrait of Gabriel Severus.

Description

The work is an oil painting on canvas with dimensions 103 cm (40.5 in) x 84.5 cm (33.2 in). It was completed between 1577 and 1599. The portrait features the Metropolitan Gabriel Severus in his religious robe. The robe is an example of 16th-century religious attire. The decorations on the robe allow viewers to distinguish his attire. The robe lacks dimensional symmetry and proportionality without the decorations. His robe loosely hangs over the armrest. Mavridou, 2006, p. 340 He is holding a gold ornamented

scepter A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The ''Was'' and other ...

. The

creates a foreground and a background for viewers. Behind the

a lavish bookshelf is decorated with books from the 16th century. The subject allows viewers a perspective of late 16th century books. The Greek language is written on almost every book. A book leaning against the shelf stands out with the crucifixion scene creating further spatial awareness. The chair is made of wood, it is decorated with Venetian ornaments. The painter makes exemplary use of lines, circles, and rectangles. At first glance, it would seem that the chair disproportionally connects with the Metropolitan's back but his robe hanging over the armrest clarifies the artist's intentions. The Metropolitan's face and hands exhibit a sense of realism common to Italian Renaissance painting. His beard, nose, eyes, and facial features are painted in detail. Bathas makes exceptional use of

sfumato Sfumato (, ) is a painting technique for softening the transition between colours, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on, or the out-of-focus plane. It is one of the canonical painting modes of the Renaissance. Leonardo da V ...

References

{{Cretan Renaissance Cretan Renaissance paintings 16th-century paintings Paintings in Venice