signed lower left
dated, in Greek: «υπό Θεοφίλου Γαβριήλ Σ (επτεβρίου 1 (?), 1892 or 1898…» (unreadable)
30 x 24 cm
37.5 x 31.5 cm (with frame)

Description

This finely executed wooden icon depicts Saint Barbara presented en face, holding a cross in her right hand and a model of a church in her left -traditional attributes symbolizing her martyrdom and steadfast faith. Rendered in egg tempera over a gesso ground on a single wooden panel, the work bears an inscription dating it to 1892 (?) or 1898 (?), (unreadable) making it one of Theofilos Hadjimichail’s earliest recorded works. The date alludes to works committed during the years of his staying at Volos. The icon exemplifies the artist’s synthesis of post-Byzantine sacred art, folk aesthetics, and the naïve expressiveness that would later characterize his mature oeuvre. Deeply rooted in Orthodox spirituality, the work prefigures the individuality and authenticity that would secure Theofilos’s position as a foundational figure of modern Greek art.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE

Few devotional works by Theofilos survive from this early period, rendering Saint Barbara a significant testament to his formative years. The piece bridges traditional Byzantine technique with the emerging spirit of 19th-century Greek identity, demonstrating the artist’s early capacity to translate faith and folk culture into a personal visual language.

The icon also underscores Theofilos’s devotion to his craft -a self-taught artist who transformed local traditions into expressions of national pride and spiritual continuity. As such, this rare example provides invaluable insight into the genesis of Greece’s most emblematic painter of popular culture and faith.