This page is currently a work in progress. Read more. This, in fact, is why I decided to paint him. The Jews of Salonica in the Ottoman Era had a long tradition of involvement in trades connected with the sea. Until all port operations in Thessaloniki were in Jewish hands. Fratelli Allatini, as the family business became known, were also ship-owners. This intrigues me. In ancient times encaustic painting was devised as a method for painting ships because it stood up to sun, salt and winds.
The word Β«encausticΒ» derives from a Greek work Β«enkaustikosΒ» meaning burnt in. Encaustic painting involves melting wax, damar crystals and pigment to create the encaustic medium. This is then melted, painted on while hot, and then fused to the surface. Encaustic painting originated with the Greek artists as early as 5th century BC. His family home had become the town Prefecture.
How had this escaped mention in my family? My father Desmond Scott was not surprised. He seemed more amused than anything else, but showed little interest in pursuing the matter further.
Fast forward to when I began researching background information for the subject of my painting Themis β Impressions of Katerina Sakellaropoulou β part of my project Eyeing Medusa.
It turns out that Katerina Sakellaropolou was born in Thessaloniki. Since that rang a bell, I started exploring the history of Thessaloniki. Themis β Impressions of Katerina Sakellaropoulou , Amanta Scott, encaustic on canvas on birch panel, 36x Moise Allatini was one of the first industrialists in Salonica to challenge the wealthiest in the community as well as their religious leaders.
