The iconographic subject "ανωθεν οι προφηται" in a wall painting of Megisti Lavra, mount Athos

Abstract

The iconographic subject of «Άνωθεν οι προφήται» painted in the chapel of St. Nicholas at the monastery of Megisti Lavra on Mount Athos is the only signed work that has been executed by Frangos Katelanos in 1560. According to the iconographic analysis the subject was already in use by the Komnenian era and knew several variations judging from its surviving representations. In his rendering of the subject, Katelanos chose to depict six prophets instead of twelve. A small grey medal of the Virgin accompanies each of the prophet in order to underline the latter’s relevance to the central figure of the Blachernitissa painted at the dome. Finally, the affinities that this painting at the Lavra presents with the fresco at the Filanthropinon monastery suggest that the painter was aware of the latter when he was working at the Lavra.