Many scholars have studied the painters of the post-Byzantine period and their artistic influences. Research shows that these artists did not work in isolation. Instead, they were inspired by earlier Byzantine traditions as well as Western European art. For example, the engravings and works of artists such as Marcantonio Raimondi and Giovanni Bellini were copied and used as visual models by painters belonging to the Cretan and related schools. This shows that artistic exchange between East and West continued even after the fall of Byzantium Scholarly References and Intellectual Context.
These influences did not completely change the traditional style of icon painting. Rather, they were adapted carefully. Painters kept the religious meaning and symbolic character of icons while borrowing certain stylistic elements, such as composition, line, and figure arrangement, from Western art. As a result, a mixed but balanced artistic language developed that remained faithful to Orthodox traditions.
Travelling Painters and Their Commissions
During the post-Byzantine period, many painters worked as travelling artists. They moved from one place to another in small groups, often based on family ties or shared regional origins. These travelling companies visited villages, towns, cities, and monasteries, where they completed different kinds of artistic commissions. Their work could include a single icon, a full fresco decoration program for a church, or the creation of an iconostasis.
In addition to church commissions, these artists also worked for private clients. Wealthy families and individuals asked them to paint small devotional icons for personal prayer. Some painters were even commissioned to decorate the ceilings and interiors of private homes with religious imagery. This shows that religious art was not limited to churches and monasteries but was also an important part of daily life Daily Ephesus Tours.
Geographical Expansion of Artistic Activity
The activities of these painters covered a very wide geographical area. Starting from regions such as Epirus and Macedonia, they travelled to Mount Athos, Thessaly, the Peloponnese, and many Aegean islands. Their mobility helped spread artistic styles and techniques across different regions. Through their journeys, local traditions interacted with broader artistic trends, creating a dynamic cultural environment.
However, despite this wide movement, it is still difficult for modern researchers to trace the exact routes and itineraries of these travelling workshops, especially in Anatolia. Historical records are limited, and many works remain unsigned, which makes precise identification challenging.
Religious Meaning and Patronage
For the patrons and clients who commissioned these artworks, icons and frescoes were mainly objects of religious devotion. They were not seen as luxury goods or simple decorative items. Instead, they held deep spiritual value and were used in prayer, worship, and religious ceremonies. This religious function shaped both the production and the use of these artworks.
Churches, monasteries, and private believers all played an important role in supporting artists. Monastic communities, in particular, influenced the themes and styles of decoration. At the same time, civic and monastic traditions together shaped church decoration, especially in important centres such as Thessaloniki and Mount Athos.
Continuity of Byzantine Tradition
Even in the eighteenth century, many Greek painters preserved strong elements of Byzantine artistic tradition. Scholars describe this as the “survival of Byzantinism” in later Greek painting. Artists continued to follow traditional iconographic models, use symbolic colours, and maintain the spiritual focus of religious imagery.
Therefore, the post-Byzantine artistic world should not be seen as a period of decline, but rather as a time of adaptation and continuity. Painters combined tradition, mobility, and new influences to create artworks that remained meaningful to their religious communities while also reflecting the changing cultural landscape of the time.
