Follower of Theodoros Poulakis (Crete, 1622 – Corfu, 1692), The relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimyton preserved in the temple of Kerkyra

Early 18th century, Follower of Theodoros Poulakis (Crete, 1622 – Corfu, 1692)

The relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimyton preserved in the temple of Kerkyra 

Tempera on wood and gold leaf, 26,5 x 19 cm

Critical note by Dr. Stefania Verità

Saint Spyridon of Trimyton (c. 270 – December 12, 348) was bishop of Trimyton, now Tremetousia, on the island of Cyprus. Spyridon was born into a Christian family towards the end of the 3rd century in Assia, on the island of Cyprus. It is known that he spent his early years as a herder, but after the death of his wife, he dedicated his life to religion. He was appointed bishop of his hometown and was arrested and exiled during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Maximian. According to tradition, Spyridon participated in the First Council of Nicaea in 325, supporting the doctrine of the essential equality of Jesus with God the Father, but his presence is not documented. He died on December 12, 348, and was buried in the Temple of the Holy Apostles in Trimyton. His biography has been handed down by the hagiographer Symeon Metaphrastes and the church historians Sozomen, Tyrannius Rufinus, and Socrates Scholasticus. After the conquest of Cyprus by the Ottoman Empire, his tomb was opened and the relics taken to Constantinople. Sources claim that his body was incorrupt and smelled of basil, which was considered proof of his sanctity. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the priest Georgios Kalochairetīs transported the relics to Corfu, which at that time belonged to the Republic of Venice, in 1456. They were guarded by the monk's family and, later, by the Bulgarians until the construction of a special church in 1589. The relic of the saint's right hand was donated to Pope Clement VIII in 1592 and is kept in Rome in the Church of Santa Maria in Vallicella. In this eighteenth-century icon, two angels are shown protecting and guarding the saint's relics at the temple in Kerkyra, on the island of Cyprus, where the venerated relics were kept before the construction of the place of worship dedicated to the saint in the second half of the sixteenth century.

The uniqueness of icons is evident from the preparation of the support on which they are painted. The wooden panel itself is a symbol of the cross, while the canvas is a symbol of the mandylion, the Veil of Veronica, or the Shroud of Turin; the gesso applied to the canvas, the levkas, is a symbol of stone. Icons were painted on wooden panels, generally linden, larch, or fir. A recess, called a "casket" or "ark," was usually made on the inside of the panel to leave a raised frame around the edges. The icon is not a personal interpretation but a ritual with precise canons to be respected; unlike paintings, where the name of the artist is often known, the icon must remain anonymous. Theology considered icons to be works of God himself, created through the hands of the iconographer. The work can be attributed to a follower of the Greek Theodoros Poulakis (Crete, 1622 – Corfu, 1692), a leading exponent of the late Cretan School and later founder of the Ionian School. After his initial training in Candia, he moved to Venice around 1644, where he remained for approximately thirteen years. Here he came into contact with contemporary European painting, particularly Flemish and Venetian, whose influence is evident in his icons, which have a distinctly Baroque character. He subsequently settled in Corfu, where he lived for most of his life, also traveling to Kefalonia. His works, more than 130 of which have survived, represent a bridge between the tradition of the Cretan School and new Western trends.

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