Panagiotis Doxaras
Encyclopedia
Panagiotis Doxaras (1662–1729) was a Greek painter who founded the Heptanese School of Greek art .
, Ottoman Greece
. In 1664, his family moved to Zante where he was taught iconography by Leo Moscos. In 1694 he joined the Venetian
army and fought against the Ottomans in Chios. In 1696 he left the Venetian army but continued recruiting fighters from Mani to fight for Venice against the Turks. The Venetians rewarded him with a knighthood and later (1721) by donating him several acres of land in Lefkas. From 1699 to 1704 he studied painting in Venice
and from 1704 to 1715 he lived in Kalamata
. The rest of his life he lived in the Ionian islands
dividing his time between Lefkas, Corfu
and Zante. He died in 1729. He had five daughters and three sons.
towards the Western European Renaissance
art. He admired passionately the great Italian
painters and in particular Leonardo Da Vinci
, whose book Art of painting (Trattato della pittura) he translated in Greek
.
In 1726 he wrote the famous, albeit controversial and much debated theoretical text On painting (Περί ζωγραφίας) in which he addressed the need for Greek art
to depart from Byzantine art
towards Western European art. The article was originally published after Doxaras' death in 1871. His article even today is the subject of much discussion in Greece .
Despite Doxaras' religious subjects, he was the first painter that tried to depict realistically the faces of his figures and his paintings' religious scenes. Doxaras also introduced into Greek iconography the technique of oil-painting which replaced the old method of mixing pigments with egg yolk. Having as a quide the works of Paolo Veronese
, he painted the roof of Agios Spyridonas
in Corfu
, where he died. The images faded and later in the middle of the 19th century were replaced with newer ones painted by Nikolaos Aspiotis .
Doxaras was also the first painter that worked on porraiture. His most famous portrait was that of Count Graf von der Schulenburg, leader of the Venetian army and defendant of Corfu
, which he signed as "Panagiotis Doxaras, Lacedaemonian Horseman, 1725, May 15th" (Hellenomnemon, p. 19) . Nikolaos Doxaras
(1700/1706-1775), son of Panagiotis Doxaras continued the artistic legacy of his father.
Biography
He was born in ManiMani Peninsula
The Mani Peninsula , also long known as Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf...
, Ottoman Greece
Ottoman Greece
Most of Greece gradually became part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th century until its declaration of independence in 1821, a historical period also known as Tourkokratia ....
. In 1664, his family moved to Zante where he was taught iconography by Leo Moscos. In 1694 he joined the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
army and fought against the Ottomans in Chios. In 1696 he left the Venetian army but continued recruiting fighters from Mani to fight for Venice against the Turks. The Venetians rewarded him with a knighthood and later (1721) by donating him several acres of land in Lefkas. From 1699 to 1704 he studied painting in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and from 1704 to 1715 he lived in Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
. The rest of his life he lived in the Ionian islands
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e...
dividing his time between Lefkas, Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
and Zante. He died in 1729. He had five daughters and three sons.
Work
Doxaras' work signals the departure of Greek painting from the Byzantine iconographyByzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
towards the Western European Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
art. He admired passionately the great Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
painters and in particular Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, whose book Art of painting (Trattato della pittura) he translated in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
.
In 1726 he wrote the famous, albeit controversial and much debated theoretical text On painting (Περί ζωγραφίας) in which he addressed the need for Greek art
Greek art
Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan prehistorical civilization, and gave birth to Western classical art in the ancient period...
to depart from Byzantine art
Byzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
towards Western European art. The article was originally published after Doxaras' death in 1871. His article even today is the subject of much discussion in Greece .
Despite Doxaras' religious subjects, he was the first painter that tried to depict realistically the faces of his figures and his paintings' religious scenes. Doxaras also introduced into Greek iconography the technique of oil-painting which replaced the old method of mixing pigments with egg yolk. Having as a quide the works of Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
, he painted the roof of Agios Spyridonas
Agios Spyridonas
Agios Spyridonas may refer to the following places in Greece:*Agios Spyridonas, Phocis, a village in the Phocis Prefecture*Agios Spyridonas, Kefalonia, a village in the Kefalonia and Ithaka Prefecture...
in Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, where he died. The images faded and later in the middle of the 19th century were replaced with newer ones painted by Nikolaos Aspiotis .
Doxaras was also the first painter that worked on porraiture. His most famous portrait was that of Count Graf von der Schulenburg, leader of the Venetian army and defendant of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, which he signed as "Panagiotis Doxaras, Lacedaemonian Horseman, 1725, May 15th" (Hellenomnemon, p. 19) . Nikolaos Doxaras
Nikolaos Doxaras
Nikolaos Doxaras was a Greek painter of the Heptanese School, born in the Ionian islands.He was the son of the Greek painter Panagiotis Doxaras. In 1729 he joined the Venetian army, and a studied painting in Venice. In 1738 he returned to the island of Leukas and in 1745 became an army officer...
(1700/1706-1775), son of Panagiotis Doxaras continued the artistic legacy of his father.