St. Luke's Monastery (Hosios Loukas)
Object number2007.131.15
Artist
Peter A. Contis
(died 1973)
Date1962-1973
MediumAcrylic; board; paper; glass; metal
Credit LineGift of Helen Contis
DescriptionAcrylic painting on board. Large white church with brown roofs, black and yellow dots; two beige smaller houses; black trees with red, yellow, and white dots; two people sitting at table near bottom on porch of one house (guest house for visitors). Blue background, with yellow crescent moon on top left.Dimensions21.75 x 1.365 x 18.25 in. (55.2 x 3.5 x 46.4 cm)Signed"P.A. Contis" in white, lower right corner on art.
Historical NotesThis painting is part of a large collection of paintings and sketches by Peter and Helen Contis. This is one of Peter's early paintings because it is not dated. In 1961, Peter went to the church during a visit abroad with his wife Helen and son George. The monastery of Hosios Loukas is situated at a scenic site on the slopes of Mount Helicon. It was founded in the early 10th century by the hermit, Venerable (Greek: Hosios) St. Luke (Greek: Lukas), whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day. The hermit (who died on 7 February 953) was famous for having predicted the conquest of Crete by Emperor Romanos. It was unclear if he was referring to Romanos I, the emperor at the time. However the island was actually reconquered by Nicephorus Phocas under Romanos II. It is believed that it was during the latter's reign (959-963) that the Church of the Theotokos (Panagia) was constructed. The main shrine of the monastery is the tomb of St. Luke, originally situated in the vault, but later placed at the juncture of the two churches. The monastery derived its wealth (including funds required for construction) from the fact that the relics of St. Luke were said to have exuded myron, a sort of perfumed oil which produced healing miracles. Pilgrims hoping for miraculous help were encouraged to sleep by the side of the tomb in order to be healed by incubation. The mosaics around the tomb represent not only St. Luke himself, but also hegumen Philotheos offering a likeness of the newly-built church to the saint. Peter Contis emigrated to Pittsburgh in 1910 and began working in the restaurant business with his brothers. Peter later returned to his homeland of Greece and met Helen in 1928; they married three months later. Moving back to Pittsburgh, Peter eventually opened a restaurant called the Neon Grill in 1932, while Helen raised their three children. Nearly thirty years later, the restaurant was closed and razed, allowing the Contis' to realize their talent in art. A religious man all his life, Peter began painting landscapes, both of Pittsburgh and Greece, and other still lifes, focusing on God's perfect affection in nature: his buildings are symmetrical and colors are vivid. Helen's talents were not revealed until after Peter's death in 1973, when she began to paint poetically the landscapes and still lifes on her own. Helen died in 2004.
Related institution
Hosios Loukas
Related person
Helen P. Contis
(died 2004)
Related person
George Contis
On View
Not on view
