‘Albanian Icons,’ a journey from 14th to 20th century

TIRANA, Oct. 17 – “Albanian Icons”, an exhibition featuring the history of Albanian iconography from the 14th to 20th century opened its doors this week at the National Arts Gallery in Tirana where it will remain open until late November when Albania marks its 100th anniversary of independence.
The exhibition brings to the public some of the finest examples of Albanian iconography, and for the first time in a collaboration with the National Museum of Medieval Art, Korca and the National Museum ‘Onufri’, Berat, the National Gallery will exhibit in its temporary exhibitions wing around fifty icons, probably some of the most important examples from the three collections’ holdings. Twelve icons come from the National Museum ‘Onufri’, Berat, eighteen icons and a Gospel cover come from the National Museum of Medieval Art, Korca, with the rest coming from the permanent collection of National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, which holds in its fund a significant group of icons, mainly post-Byzantine, dating from the 14th century up to the 20th century.
Albania has been an important centre of iconography in the Balkans and icon painting flourished in Albanian territories especially during the post-Byzantine period. This period, from the late 15th century up until the end of 19th century, sees a great number of distinguished icon painters such as Onufri during the 16th century; Onufri the Cypriot at the end of 16th and beginning of the 17th century; David Selenicasi covering both the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century; Konstandin Jeromonaku, the Zografi brothers and Kostandin Shpataraku all belonging to the 18th century; the Cetiri family during the 19th century as well as the Zengo family at the beginning of the 20th century. All these talented icon painters have decorated lavishly the Christian Orthodox churches of Albania throughout the ages. This strong tradition of icon painting in Albania continued until 1964, year when religion was banned in the country. The icons in this exhibition belong to different centuries, from the 14th, up until the 20th century, thus in retrospect showing also the history of iconography in Albania. The icons painters featured in the exhibition are many, from the early anonymous icon painters to Master Onufri; Nikolla, son of Onufri; Onufri the Cypriot; Kostandin Shpataraku; Kostandin Jeromonaku; Kostandin and Athanas Zografi; Johan Cetiri; Vangjel Zengo and up to Spiro Xega, the painter of the “newest” icon featured in the exhibition, dated 1920.
The exhibition will stay open until 29 November 2012.