Details

LOT 1974

Painted Wooden Icon of Saint Eleutherios

CIRCA 19TH CENTURY A.D.

13 1/4 in. (596 grams, 33.5 cm).

Depicting a robed and nimbate figure of Saint Eleutherios, facing, hands gesturing in front of his chest, text in Greek across left and right fields reading 'O Aγιος Ἐλευθέριος,' (Saint Eleutherios).

Provenance

Ex French gallery, Paris.

Literature

Cf. similar icon (style and face) of Nikolaos Kallergis (18th century), in Byzantine Museum of Zakynthos; for the iconography of Saint Eleftherios see also Frantz, A., 'Late Byzantine paintings in the Agora' in American School of Classic Studies in Athens,Volume 4, Issue 3, pp. 442-469, pl.VI.

Footnotes

As bishop in Illyricum, Eleutherios promoted Christianity at a time when the persecutions not only made it difficult to win and hold converts, but also at a time when it was very dangerous to be a high-ranking prelate of the church. Oblivious to this threat, he was acclaimed in the inner circle of Christianity as the brightest luminary of Christian Rome since the apostles. His immense popularity grew and thereby became more dangerous to the state. He was finally brought to the attention of Emperor Hadrian, who ordered his arrest, tortured and put him to death on December 15th.