LESSON 3: Saint George of the Greeks
Topic outline
-
-
The present lesson aims to present material related to the construction of the church of St George of the Greeks, the symbolic character of the church as an integral part of the official recognition of the Orthodox Faith in Venice and the preservation of the identity of the Greek brotherhood in a multicultural society.
The important religious relics and valuable icons kept in the church and highlighted in this section provide important information about artists, painters, hagiographers and craftsmen who left their mark on Venetian decoration in general and on this splendid Renaissance-style building with Byzantine influences in particular.
-
-
-
The Greeks living in the Adriatic cove were aware of the importance of the church of St George, San Zorzi della Nazion Greca, for the Diaspora and the newly established Greek Brotherhood. The painted decoration and the architecture of the church within the 'Square of the Greeks' testify not only to the high aesthetic demands of the members of the Brotherhood but also to the strategic effort to preserve and promote their cultural identity.
A decision of the community concerning the decoration of the church reflects the wish of all that the painting work be executed "with the greatest magnificence and perfection that we all desire" (accio l'opera si facci di quella maggior excellentia et perffettione che da tutti noi èdesiderata...). Although they were now completely integrated into their new homeland, the Greeks consciously resisted influences that would lead them to be assimilated by the foreign environment.
The famous Venetian painter Tintoretto, who had undertaken by decision of the Brotherhood, at the end of the 16th century, to supervise the work of the painter John Kypriou, had as his main concern that the Greek rhythm should be followed in the latter's work. The garments, forms and expressions in the iconographic types of the temple had to conform to the standards of the Orthodox tradition and vera arte greca. The model of the temple, which the Brotherhood had commissioned in 1536, also follows the rules of the Greek style; on the same grounds the Brotherhood rejected the plan made by Palma for the decoration of the temple with mosaics, considering that it did not conform to the 'Greek style'.
It is worth mentioning that most of the paintings collected in Venice are by Cretan painters. In addition, the Greek community had received donations of wondrous icons from the refugees. Christos Pantokrator and Christos Endoxi, masterpieces of Palaeologan art, which still adorn the church of St. George, arrived in Venice from Constantinople and belonged to Anna Notaras Palaeologina. Michael Damaskinos was also invited from Crete and left his mark on the iconostasis and the sanctuary of the church of St. George. Benedictus Emporios (The Last Supper) and Emmanuel Tzanes, who created the frescoes of Saints Simeon and Alypios, the hermits, completed the decoration of the church.
Therefore, the care taken in the selection of competent architects and painters for the execution of the building and artistic works, clearly demonstrates the conviction of the members of the Brotherhood for the importance of art as a means of expression and preservation of their identity. The passage of time, of course, and the new artistic expressions to which they were exposed, ultimately brought about a fruitful but subtle fusion of Greek art with its deep roots in Byzantium and Italian art, with modern trends and new sparks of imagination.
Portable image: St. George of the Greeks
-