David Selenica
Illustration — Murals of St. Nicholas church in Moscopole, painted by David Selenicasi David Selenica (daˈvid sɛlɛˈnitsa; 17th century18th century), also commonly known as Selenicasi, was an Albanian Orthodox icon and fresco painter of the Post-Byzantine period in the seventeenth century. Alongside Onufri and Kostandin Shpataraku, he is regarded as one of the most prominent figures of medieval Albanian art.
David Selenica
Public domain
- Born
- 1601 · Selenicë.
- Died
- 1800
- Nationality
- Albania
- Occupation
- painter
- Languages
- Modern Greek
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Murals of St. Nicholas church in Moscopole, painted by David Selenicasi David Selenica (daˈvid sɛlɛˈnitsa; 17th century18th century), also commonly known as Selenicasi, was an Albanian Orthodox icon and fresco painter of the Post-Byzantine period in the seventeenth century. Alongside Onufri and Kostandin Shpataraku, he is regarded as one of the most prominent figures of medieval Albanian art.
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David Selenica (1601–1800) was a painter and a national of Albania. The painter was born in Selenicë. Languages used include Modern Greek.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q5239636 · wikipedia · David Selenica
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Selenicasi, also known as David of Selenica, was born in the late 17th century in Selenicë, a village in the region of Kolonjë. He died in the mid-18th century near Korçë.
In 1715 he painted frescoes in one of the chapels of the monastery of the Great Lavra, the first monastery built on Mount Athos in Greece. From 1722 to 1726, David Selenica and his two disciples Kostandin and Kristo painted the murals, the frescoes and the basilica of the church of Saint Nicholas in Moscopole. In 1727 he painted the murals and the frescoes of the church of Saint John the Baptist in Kastoria, and the church of Blessed Virgin Mary in Thessaloniki.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1601
David Selenica born at Selenicë.
1800
David Selenica died.
Technique
In contrast to other painters of his era, Selenica uses bright colours in his paintings and icons. Selenica combines elements of Byzantine art of the Paleologan era and Venetian school of art.
Legacy
David Selenicasi's work influenced many of his contemporaries like Kostandin Shpataraku, the brothers Kostandin and Athanas Zografi and works of the early 19th century. He is regarded as the founder of a distinct national school of painters based in Korçë. His works are exhibited in the National Historical Museum of Albania in Tirana in the pavilion of icon painting and the National Museum of Medieval Art of Korçë. Other works of David Selenicasi are found in several monasteries of Mount Athos. In Moscopole seven of his murals have been preserved.
Literature
Literature
Selenica, David, Benezit Dictionary of Artists, 2011
Les peintres du XVIIIe s. et la peinture paléologue: David Selenica et Denys de Fourna, Héritages de Byzance en Europe du Sud-Est à l’époque moderne et contemporaine, 2013
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.KONFERENCA E DYTË E STUDIMEVE ALBANOLOGJIKE. albanianorthodox.com. 2.
- 2.University of Michigan, Academy of Sciences of Albania. Studia Albanica. 37. 65. 2004.
- 3.Popa, Theofan. Piktorët mesjetarë Shqiptarë. Ministry of Education and Culture. 63–5. 1961.
- 4.Pirovano, Carlo. Percorsi del sacro: icone dai musei albanesi. Electa. 37–8, 67. 2002. 88-435-8291-7.
- 5.National Museum of Medieval Art of Korçë.
- 6.Ndarurinze, Renate. Albanien entdecken: Auf den Spuren Skanderbegs. Trescher Verlag. 109. 2008. 978-3-89794-125-0.
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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