Saint John the Theologian

The icon was rather well preserved and was conserved and cleaned in 1960. It has an arched top and narrows towards the bottom, an irregularity of shape that indicates it was made for a specific position, not yet determined. The Theologian is represented in bust, turning to the left and holding a half-open book with a text written on it. In his right hand he holds the ink pot and a case of pens. The type is already known from Palaeologan icons, although usually the Theologian holds the ink pot with his left and a pen with his right hand. This reversal of the prototype, and the absence of the pen, was not the painter’s initiative. It is already known from the triptych at Bari, attributed to Andreas Ritzos, the great Cretan painter of the 15th century. The Theologian is depicted as the wise, erudite writer of some years, with prestige and authority, expressed by the large head and the high forehead. The type reflects the voluminous style of 1300 that was continued in the16th century. It is linked, as mentioned above, to Andreas Ritzos, by the flawless modelling and the particularly sensitive treatment of the fingers. Thus, the icon may be attributed to Crete, either close to or after Ritzos. The contrast between the high quality of the painting and the lack of canvas and gold in the background, as well as the roughness with which the wood was worked, could be explained by the production of the icon by a Cretan painter at Patmos, in which case the monastery would have supplied the materials.