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
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 ...
in some of his work but he also broke from tradition by employing the
Venetian style. He traveled around the Venetian Empire going from Heraklion to Corfu and Venice. He was a prominent member of the Greek Confraternity in Venice. He was friends with
Gabriel Severus, Metropolitan of Philadelphia. He was very popular among both Greek and Italian patrons. He influenced the works of countless artists both Italian and Greek. Some of his works are in
San Giorgio dei Greci
San Giorgio dei Greci ( el, Ἅγιος Γεώργιος τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ´Agios Geórgios ton Ellínon, Saint George of the Greeks) is a church in the ''sestiere'' (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice, northern Italy. It was the center of ...
and the Hellenic Institute of Venice.
Emmanuel Tzanes
Emmanuel Tzanes ( el, Εμμανουήλ Τζάνες, 1610 – 28 March 1690), also known as Bounialis ( el, Μπουνιαλής) Emmanuel Tzane-Bounialis, Emmanuel Zane, and Emmanuel Tzane. He was a Greek Renaissance painter. He was an a ...
,
Konstantinos Tzanes
Konstantinos Tzanes ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Τζάνες, 1633 – 1685; also known as Bounialis ( el, Μπουνιαλής) Konstantinos Tzane-Bounialis, Konstantinos Zane, or Konstantinos Tzane) was a Greek Renaissance painter. He ...
,
Ioannis Moskos
Ioannis Moskos ( el, Ιωάννης Μόσκος; 1635-44 – 1721) was a Greek painter that migrated to Venice. Two other very famous painters with the name Moskos were active around the same period Elias Moskos and Leos Moskos. Leos Moskos ...
, and
Philotheos Skoufos
Philotheos Skoufos el, Φιλόθεος Σκούφος also known as Filotheos Skoufos. Philotheos was a Greek painter, educator and clergyman during the 17th century. He collaborated with Emmanuel Tzanes on several pieces while he was in Corf ...
were some Greek artists influenced by his work. One of his students was the famous painter
Emmanuel Tzanfournaris. He left him a fortune in his will.
His most famous works include: ''
Portrait of Gabriel Severus'' and ''Virgin and Child Enthroned''. Twenty of his paintings have survived.
History
Thomas Bathas was born in Chandaka,
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 Ar ...
His father's name was Nicholas. Thomas may have been related to Marko Bathas. Thomas was married. In the Venetian archives he is listed as ό Tornio da Nicolo da Corfu Batta. He first appears in Venice around 1581. He was twenty-seven years old. He appears in Venice on-off until 1598. For a short period, he traveled to Corfu where he maintained an active painting workshop between 1585-1587. He signed a contract to teach Angelo Kritopoulos's son Iakovo painting for three years. He is also listed in a contract as a witness on January 31, 1586, it was written at the monastery della Gloriosa a nostra Donna
Nuntiata in Corfu. He signed it as miser Tornio Batha de Candia depentor.
One year later, he updated his contract with Iakovo Kritopoulos's father. He agreed to pay Thomas in money or products but he would send it to Venice. Thomas was Iakovo's teacher until December,1587. On July 23, 1588, the painter was living in Venice where he would remain for the rest of his life. He made an application to run for Vikar but lost the election. He was elected in the years 1592, 1595, and 1598. In 1594, he was hired to maintain the Miraculous Icon of the Virgin Mary at
St Mark's Basilica. On December 11, 1589, he made out a will.
He lived in San Antonin. According to his will, he had a close relationship with Gabriel Severus, Metropolitan of Philadelphia. He bequeathed him a silver cup. He also made Severus the executor of the will. He also mentioned his other student Frangkiskos in the will. It stipulated that he must continue painting to receive the gift. The will clarifies his massive fortune before he was a painter.
There was a competition to complete a Mosaic of Christ in the niche of the sanctuary of
San Giorgio dei Greci
San Giorgio dei Greci ( el, Ἅγιος Γεώργιος τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ´Agios Geórgios ton Ellínon, Saint George of the Greeks) is a church in the ''sestiere'' (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice, northern Italy. It was the center of ...
.
The other participants were famous Italian painter
Palma il Giovane
Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ("Young Palma"), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school.
After Tintoretto's death ...
, Ioannis Vlastos, and Bunialetto. Thomas won the competition because his art conformed to the desired
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 requirements of the Greek Brotherhood were the old ways (uso antico) and the pious Greek-style (alla divota maniera greca).
On September 3, 1598, the Greek Brotherhood approved the design.
The archives indicate the payment on April 1, 1599, he is mentioned as mistro Tornio Batha. Two weeks later on April 11, 1599, the painter made out a second will. In the second will, he left a sizable fortune to his wife. He also left a fortune to his student
Emmanuel Tzanfournaris. His will wrote tutti i miei desegni cosi grechi, come all italiana. Which translates to all my designs so Greek, as well as Italian. The artist died two days later on April 13, 1599 in Venice. He was forty-five years old.
Gallery
File:Thomas Bathas Gabriel Severus.png, Portrait of Gabriel Severus
File:Thomas Bathas Virgin and Child.png, Virgin and Child, Hodegetria
A Hodegetria , ; russian: Одиги́трия, Odigítria ; Romanian: Hodighitria, or Virgin Hodegetria, is an iconographic depiction of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of s ...
File:Thomas Bathas Revelation of Saint John the Divine.png, Revelation of Saint John the Divine
File:Thomas Bathas Jesus Enthroned.png, Jesus Enthroned for San Giorgio dei Greci Competition
File:Barletta - Chiesa dei Greci Ikonostase08.jpg, Virgin and Child
File:Barletta - Chiesa dei Greci Ikonostase.jpg, Bathas Virgin and Child Left and Jesus Right
Notable works
*
Vision of the Apocalypse (Bathas)
*
Portrait of Gabriel Severus
*
Virgin Nikopoios
*Jesus Enthroned ''Greek Church Santa Maria Degli Angeli Barletta Bari, Italy''
*Virgin and Child ''Greek Church Santa Maria Degli Angeli Barletta Bari, Italy''
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathas, Thomas
1554 births
1599 deaths
Cretan Renaissance painters
People from Heraklion
16th-century Greek painters
Greek Renaissance humanists
Painters from the Republic of Venice