Georgios Kalliergis, the best painter of Thessaly, a Byzantine master of the Macedonian School
Georgios Kalliergis was a notable painter who honed his craft during the Palaeologan Renaissance and was part of the Macedonian School of painting. Born in Thessaloniki sometime in the 13th century, Kalliergis grew up in a city second only to Constantinople in cultural importance and a major artistic hub of the Byzantine Empire.
Among the many painting workshops thriving in Thessaloniki at the time, Kalliergis stood out as a prominent figure. It is speculated that he may have been related to the renowned Kallergis family of Crete, one of the oldest and most powerful Byzantine families, which managed to retain its influence even under Venetian rule. A similarity between one of Kalliergis’ frescoes and a work by Manuel Fokas, a Cretan artist, hints at a potential connection to the island.
Interestingly, a well-known Thessalonian poet, Manuel Philis, wrote a poem about one of Kalliergis’ paintings. This has led historians to conclude that Kalliergis lived and worked in the region. Some scholars also believe he may have studied under the famous painter Manuel Panselinos, given the stylistic parallels in their works.
Kalliergis’ artistic contributions are documented in Veria, Thessaloniki (church of the Taxiarches), and the Chilandar monastery on Mount Athos. Furthermore, four portable icons from the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos can be ascribed to his hand.
His most significant work, and the only one to bear his name, is the decoration of the Church of Christ Saviour in Veria. This church was founded by Xenos Psalidas and his wife Euphrosyne, and Kalliergis began decorating it around 1315, continuing perhaps until 1317 or 1318. In the church’s inscription, Kalliergis described himself as “the best painter of all Thessaly,” indicating his position as head of the painters’ guild at the time.
After this period, Kalliergis likely received an invitation to work at the Chilandar Monastery on Mount Athos. The monastery’s primary benefactor, Serbian King Milutin, also commissioned other prominent Byzantine artists, such as Michael and Eutychios Astrapas, to work in his kingdom. Kalliergis likely worked for both the monastery and King Milutin, decorating the katholikon (main church) and the smaller cemetery church until the king’s death in October 1321. He is believed to have spent several years at Chilandar, and his name appears as a witness in a legal deed from November 1322, when the monastery purchased three houses in Thessaloniki.
Furthermore, the surviving frescoes in the church of the Taxiarches in Thessaloniki are also attributed to Kalliergis. This church was one of the two built or restored by King Milutin in Thessaloniki at the beginning of the 14th century to serve the Serbian community of the city. It was also a dependancy (metochion) of the Chilandar monastery on Mount Athos, and Kalliergis would have decorated it as part of his works for this brotherhood.
Sources:
Euthymios Tsigaridas, L’activité artistique du peintre thessalonicien Georges Kalliergis, 2011.
