Explore the abstract of this artwork, Jesus Hominum Salvator (Ritzos).
Jesus Hominum Salvator is a tempera painting by Andreas Ritzos.  Ritzos was one of the founders of the Cretan School of painting.  His teacher was Angelos Akotantos. Andreas Ritzos was active from 1436 to 1492.  He painted in the traditional Greek-Italian Byzantine style combined with Italian Renaissance Venetian painting.  The technique later became known as the maniera greca.  Sixty of his works survived.Symbols and abbreviations have been a fundamental part of the Christian religion.  Both Greek and Italian artists developed a pictorial representation of theological subjects.  The Christogram is one of the earliest symbols of the faith.  Roman Emperor Constantine implemented the symbol Chi Rho as part of his military insignia.  The Greek letters Chi Rho are the first two letters in the Greek spelling of Christ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ pronounced Christos.  The vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.Another important Christogram evolved during the Byzantine Empire.  The name is derived from the first three letters of Jesus's name in Greek ΙΗΣΟΥΣ pronounced Iésous.  The Latinized version of the letters IHS (Iesus Hominum Salvator) were extremely popular during Byzantine times.  The Latin version means Jesus Savior of Humankind.  Another version was In Hoc Signo (In this sign).  Ιησούς Ήμέτερος Σωτήρ (Jesus Our Savior) is another usage of the three Greek letters ΙΗΣ.Iesus Hominum Salvator became the official Christogram of the Franciscan Order during the fifteenth century.  The symbol is used on the coat of arms of Pope Francis. Greek painter Andreas Ritzos used the Christogram IHS in one of his most important icons.  The painter added the crucifixion and the resurrection within the letters of the Christogram.  The icon was first mentioned in the will of Cretan scholar and noble Andreas Kornaros in 1611.  He bequeathed the painting to an important individual in Venice.  In more recent years, the painting became part of the collection of the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, Greece.
Andreas Ritzos Angelos Akotantos Byzantine and Christian Museum Christogram IHS Cretan School Pope Francis Christogram Chi Rho Athens maniera greca