Christ Pantocrator
Type:
Icon
Period:
1847 year
Zahari Hristovich Zograph, son of Hristo Dimitrov, was born in Samokov. He was a disciple, and later a colleague, of his brother Dimiter Zograph. He is one of the most prolific Bulgarian artists, and one of the few to include elements of everyday life in his murals. His best-known icons are in St. Constantine and Elena's Church in Plovdiv, the Virgin Mary's Church in Koprivshtitsa. Among his best-known works are also the icons from the Plakovo monastery, the Lower Beshovo monastery etc. Zahari Zograph worked on many murals as well. His best-known murals are in the Bachkovo monastery (the paraclete and St Nicholas' Church), the Rila monastery's church, the Troyan and the Transfiguration monasteries. In 1851 and 1852 Zahari Zograph lived and worked in Athos. During that period he created the murals in St. Athanasius' Lavra. Zahari Zograph is also the author of the icons in the Zograph monastery in Karea. In 1850 he painted three mural autoportraits in the Bachkovo, Troyan and Transfiguration monasteries. In his late years he painted several sponsors' portraits. After his death he left a large number of sketches which were never made into real works of art.
Dimmensions (cm):
75
/ 58.2
Location
Country: Bulgaria
Province: Plovdiv
Town: Koptivshtitsa
Source
Country: Bulgaria
Province: Plovdiv
Town: Koptivshtitsa
Object identification notes
The composition, the proportions, the character of the image and the harmony of the coloured spots suggest a great master (Zahari Zograph?) with a style of his own from the Samokov iconographic circles. A commemorative inscription in the background on the left states that the icon was made in 1847 at the expense of the furriers' apprentices.
Description
A traditional, professionally performed image following the official representative trend in 19th-century art.
Iconographical technique: Tempera
Base material: Wood
Softwood
