Spyridon Sperantzas ( el, Σπυρίδων Σπεράντζας, 1733 – 1818) was a Greek painter. He flourished during the Greek Neoclassical era and the

Modern Greek Enlightenment The Modern Greek Enlightenment ( el, Διαφωτισμός, ''Diafotismos'', "enlightenment," "illumination"; also known as the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment) was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment. Origins The Greek Enlightenment w ...

in art also known as Neo-Hellenikos Diafotismos. Because of the

Fall of the Republic of Venice The fall of the Republic of Venice was a series of events that culminated on 12 May 1797 in the dissolution and dismemberment of the Republic of Venice at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte and Habsburg Austria. In 1796, the young general Napoleon ...

, Sperantzas brought the Heptanese School into the Greek Romantic period. By the 1800s the Ionian Islands were occupied by both French and English forces and for the first time since the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the local Greeks governed themselves. Sperantzas,

Nikolaos Kantounis Nikolaos Kantounis or Kandounis (Greek: Νικόλαος Καντούνης; 1767–1834) was a Greek priest, painter and teacher who did not follow the traditional Maniera Greca. His teacher was the famous painter Nikolaos Koutouzis. He began to ...

, and

Nikolaos Koutouzis Nikolaos Koutouzis, or Koutousis (Greek: Νικόλαος Κουτούζης; 17411813) was a Greek painter, poet and priest. He was part of the Heptanese School (painting), Heptanese School, but also a member of the Modern Greek Enlightenment in ...

represent the transition in painting that defined

Modern Greek art Modern Greek art is art from the period between the emergence of the new independent Greek state and the 20th century. As Mainland Greece was under Ottoman rule for all four centuries, it was not a part of the Renaissance and artistic movements th ...

. Sperantzas was influenced by Nikolaos Kallergis,

Nikolaos Doxaras Nikolaos Doxaras ( el, Νικόλαος Δοξαράς; 1706/10 – 2 March 1775). He was a Greek painter and teacher. His father was famous painter Panagiotis Doxaras. Panagiotis Doxaras was the father of the Greek Rococo and the Modern Greek ...

, and

. His son Michael Sperantzas was also a famous painter and his apprentice. Spyridon also painted frescos.

History

Sperantzas was born in Corfu. He married Diamantina. His son Michael was a famous painter. Spyridon and his son Michael collaborated on several projects together. He is mentioned in records from 1763 to 1781. In 1765, he completed illustrations on the iconostasis in the church of the Saint's Antoniou and Andreas in the city of Corfu. In 1786, he was in the Italian city

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

with his wife Diamantina. According to archival documents of the

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

n community in

. Spyridon and his son worked decorating the chapel of the Illyrian Cemetery. They also decorated the church of

Agios Spyridon Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous also sometimes written Saint Spiridon (Greek: ; c. 270 – 348) is a saint honoured in both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions. Life Spyridon was born in Askeia, in Cyprus. He worked as a shepher ...

during the period 1794–1796. He also painted the iconostasis of the

Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò dei Greci The Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicolò dei Greci, Trieste, Italy, is a historical Greek Orthodox Church built in 1784-1787 and re designed by architect Matteo Pertsch. The building is also known as the Greek Orthodox Church of San Nicholas and M ...

. The family owned an ecclesiastical shop in Trieste. His son Michael maintained a good relationship with the Greek church. He occasionally cleaned and maintained the icons. Spyridon’s grandson was also a painter. Spyridon died in the same city in 1818 at the age of 85 years old. Sperantzas and his son Michael brought the refined art of

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 ...

and the Heptanese School to

. He represented Greek

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

and

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

. He fortifies a stylistic transition in Greek art that evolved from the

Cretan Renaissance 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, becom ...

to the Heptanese School. His art was influenced by the Greek

Rocco Rocco or Rocko is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: First name * Rocco Baldelli (born 1981), American Major League Baseball player and manager of the Minnesota Twins * Rocco Botte (born 1983), American actor an ...

which was defined by

Panagiotis Doxaras Panagiotis Doxaras ( el, Παναγιώτης Δοξαράς) (1662–1729) also known as Panayiotis Doxaras, was an author and painter. He was a prolific member of the Heptanese School. He was influenced by early members of the movement name ...

and his son

. Greek art was influenced by the

Venetian Style Venetian Gothic is the particular form of Italian Gothic architecture typical of Venice, originating in local building requirements, with some influence from Byzantine architecture, and some from Islamic architecture, reflecting Venice's tradin ...

and later evolved due to the exposure of English, French, and Austrian cultures. According to the Institute of Neohellenic Research, thirty of his paintings have survived and three frescos. Hatzidakis, 1997, pp 369-370

Gallery

File:Spyridon Sperantzas Demon.png, Skeleton File:Spyridon Sperantzas Saint Spyridon.png, Saint Spyridon File:Spyridon Sperantzas Washing Feet.png, Christ Washing Feet

Notable works

*Beheading of John the Baptist, 1756, ''Collection of the Neohellenic Institute Athens GR'' *Fresco ''Church of Saint Eleutherius, Corfu Greece'' *Fresco ''Church of Ypsilis Theotoko, Corfu Greece'' *Fresco ''Church of Agios Ioannis Prodromou, Corfu Greece''

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sperantzas, Spyridon 1733 births 1818 deaths Greek painters Painters of the Heptanese School 18th-century Greek painters 19th-century Greek painters 18th-century Greek people 19th-century Greek people People from Corfu People from Trieste