Coperta 1 / Cover 1: Tetraevanghelia lui Gavril Uric (1448-1462), coperta 1 - detaliu.

The Four Gospels Book of Gavril Uric (1448-1462), cover 1 - detail.

Coperta 4 / Cover 4: Can cu capac, sec. XVII, Sibiu. Jug with lid, XVIIth century, Sibiu.

Unele exponate sunt reproduse pentru prima oara. Some of the exhibits are reproduced for the first time.

Text:

Anca Lzrescu, Emanuela Cernea, Carmen Tnsoiu, Lucreia Ptrcanu, Oana Pdureu Versiunea englez: Mirela Bardi Fotografii de: Viorel Simionescu i din fototeca MNAR - Grard Blot, Gheorghe Ciurea, George Dumitru,

Ruben de Heer, Socrates Mavrommatis, Costin Miroi

Editori: Corina Firu i Cori Simona Ion Redactor: Argentina Firu Prelucrare imagini pe calculator: Cori Simona Ion i MNAR- Costin Miroi, Marius Preda
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naionale a Romniei Capodopere din Evului Mediu romnesc n Muzeul Naional de Art al Romniei / Anca Lzrescu, Emanuela Cernea, Carmen Tnsoiu, ... ; trad.: Mirela Bardi ; ed.: Corina Firu i Cori Simona Ion ; fotograf: Viorel Simionescu i fototeca MNAR. - Bucureti : Alcor Edimpex, 2006 Bibliogr. ISBN 973-8160-21-9 I. Lzrescu, Anca II. Cernea, Emanuela III. Tnsoiu, Carmen IV. Bardi, Mirela (trad.) V. Firu, Corina (ed.) VI. Ion, Cori Simona (ed.) VII. Simionescu, Viorel (foto.) 069(498) Muzeul...:94(498)(084)

Editare DIRECT-TO-PLATE cu platesetter basysPrint UV-710S S.C. ZOOMSOFT S.R.L. Tiprit la CNI CORESI S.A. Toate drepturile rezervate / All rights reserved S.C. ALCOR EDIMPEX S.R.L. Bd. Ion Mihalache nr.45, bl.16B+C, sc.D, ap.116, sector 1 cod 011173, Bucureti, ROMANIA ed_alcor@yahoo.com, www.editura-alcor.ro 2

CAPODOPERE DIN EVUL MEDIU ROMNESC N MUZEUL NAIONAL DE ART AL ROMNIEI * MASTERPIECES OF THE ROMANIAN MIDDLE AGES IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART OF ROMANIA

Bucureti, 2006
3

Istoricul coleciei Seciei de Art Medieval

Secia de Art Medieval Romneasc a Muzeului Naional de Art al Romniei conserv un numr de peste 9500 de piese, de diferite genuri, fiind considerat cea mai reprezentativ colecie de acest gen din ara noastr. Patrimoniul su format n cea mai mare msur din capodopere cuprinde icoane, fresce, broderii, manuscrise i tiprituri vechi, orfevrrie, podoabe, sculpturi n lemn i piatr. Acestea ilustreaz fenomenul artistic din rile romne n evoluia sa, ncepnd cu secolul al XIV-lea, odat cu formarea statelor feudale i pn la finele secolului XVIII. Secia de Art Medieval Romneasc a luat fiin n cadrul Muzeului de Art al R.P.R., actualul Muzeu Naional de Art al Romniei, n anul 1953 i a fost deschis publicului n 1959 n fostul Palat Regal. Ideea existenei unui muzeu naional ca instituie cultural reprezentativ a aprut ca urmare a dezvoltrii contiinei naionale, dup prefacerile politice i sociale declanate de momentul istoric 1848. Interesul pentru monumentele i obiectele vechi, pentru pstrarea lor ca mrturii ale istoriei poporului romn, se va manifesta programatic. nc din anul 1856 Ministerul Instruciunii a alctuit o comisie format din istorici, 1 cu scopul de a inventaria obiectele de valoare aflate n mnstiri. nfiinarea Muzeului Naional de Antichiti n 1864, n sediul Universitii din Bucureti (foto 1), este strns legat de iniiativa i activitatea unor savani romni, ntre care un merit deosebit l-au avut istoricii Alexandru Odobescu i Grigore G. Tocilescu. n cadrul acestui muzeu s-a organizat o seciune de art religioas, ca urmare a Legii secularizrii averilor mnstireti. Legea, publicat n Jurnalul Oficial al Principatelor Unite nr. 249 din 14 decembrie 1863, a fost unul dintre cele mai importante proiecte de modernizare a Principatelor iniiate de ctre domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Proiectul Legii a fost votat aproape n unanimitate de Adunarea Legiuitoare, avnd binecuvntarea Mitropolitului Nifon n calitatea sa de Arhipstor al Bisericii Romne i de Preedinte al Adunrii. n raportul ctre domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza, minitrii semnatari ai documentului, n frunte cu Mihail Koglniceanu, menioneaz c rezolvarea problemei legate de averile mnstirilor nchinate la Muntele Athos i la Muntele Sinai s-a impus nc din primele decenii 4

History of collections in the Department of Romanian Medieval Art

The department of Romanian Medieval Art of the National Museum of Art of Romania preserves over 9,500 pieces of various types gathered in what is considered to be the most representative collection of its kind in our country. This collection of masterpieces gathers icons, frescoes, embroidery, manuscripts and old printings, orfevrerie, jewellery, stone and wood carvings. They bring evidence of artistic evolution in the Romanian principalities, starting with the establishment of feudal states in the fourteenth century and going on until the end of the eighteenth century. The department of Romanian Medieval Art was established in the Art Museum of the Popular Republic of Romania, currently the National Museum of Art of Romania, in 1953 and was opened to the public in the former Royal Palace in 1959. The idea of a national museum as a representative cultural institution emerged from strengthened national awareness following political and social changes generated by historic events in 1848. The interest for preserving old monuments and objects as evidence of the Romanian peoples history was sustained through action. As early as 1856 the Ministry of Education gathered a board of historians who were given the task to record the valuable objects preserved in monasteries. The establishment of the National Antiques Museum at the University of Bucharest in 1864 (photo 1) was the outcome of the initiative and effort of a group of Romanian scientists among whom historians Alexander Odobescu and Grigore G. Tocilescu had a leading role. A department of religious art was organized following the implementation of the Law for the secularization of monasteries possessions. The Law, published in issue 249 of the Official Journal of the United Principalities on 14 December 1863, represented one of the key modernizing projects initiated by prince Alexander John Cuza. The bill was almost unanimously voted by the Legislative Assembly with the approval of Metropolitan Nifon as leader of Romanian Church and president of the Assembly. In their report to prince Alexander John Cuza, the ministers who initiated the project, led by Michael Koglniceanu, mention the fact that the need to solve the problem of possessions of religious establishments controlled by the sees at Mount Athos and Mount Sinai emerged in the

ale secolului XIX, o dat cu dezvoltarea contiinei naionale. Promulgarea Legii secularizrii averilor mnstireti a avut ca efect trecerea n posesia Statului, cu despgubiri n bani, a tuturor averilor mnstireti, incluznd i odoarele bisericeti. Pentru ca acestea din urm s fie ferite de nstrinare i pentru o mai bun pstrare a lor, au fost date n administrarea Muzeului Naional de Antichiti, unde au fost inventariate i descrise pentru prima dat n publicaia aprut n 1906 Catalogul Muzeului Naional de Antichiti , redactat de directorul acestuia, Grigore G. Tocilescu. Alturi de preioasele odoare bisericeti, muzeului i s-au adugat i o serie de colecii aparinnd unor iubitori de frumos care le-au donat cu generozitate n folosul public. Trebuie amintit colecia colonelului Dimitrie Pappasoglu, donat muzeului n 1909, colecie din care Muzeul Naional de Art al Romniei conserv piese valoroase. Pe lng Comisiunea Monumentelor Istorice, fondat n 1892, a luat fiin o colecie de art medieval, n cea mai mare parte constituit din icoane. n anul 1935 aceasta va fuziona cu seciunea de obiecte ecleziastice a Muzeului Naional de Antichiti dnd natere Muzeului de Art Religioas, care a funcionat n Palatul Kretzulescu de lng Cimigiu (foto 2), astzi sediul UNESCO pentru 2 Romnia. Aceste colecii formeaz nucleul de baz al patrimoniului seciei de Art Medieval a Muzeului Naional de Art al Romniei, alturi de care trebuie s amintim i existena unor lucrri importante din fondurile muzeelor Saint Georges i Anastasie Simu. n 1956, odat cu restituirea parial a Tezaurului Romniei de ctre fosta U.R.S.S., patrimoniul seciei a redobndit o serie de piese cu valoare excepional: icoane, manuscrise, broderii, esturi de art i orfevrerie. Spturile arheologice au constituit o surs important de mbogire a coleciilor. Astfel, sunt notabile descoperirile in situ ale unor veminte i accesorii de costum de la Mnstirile Vorone i Dragomirna din nordul Moldovei, de la Catedrala Romano-Catolic din Alba Iulia i de la Biserica Mnstirii Vad din Transilvania, datate n secolele XVI-XVII. n urma campaniei iraionale de demolare din anii 80 a unor biserici i mnstiri din Bucureti Biserica Ienii, mnstirile Cotroceni i Vcreti n patrimoniul seciei au intrat o serie de fragmente de sculptur n lemn i piatr,

first decades of the nineteenth century in line with strengthened national awareness. Ratification of the Law for the secularization of monasteries possessions led to state ownership, following financial compensations, of all religious wealth, including liturgical objects. In order for the latter to be protected and conserved, they were given to the National Antiques Museum to be administered, registered and described for the first time in the 1906 Catalogue of the National Antiques Museum drafted by its director Grigore G. Tocilescu. Apart from liturgical objects, the museum collections were enriched with pieces generously donated to the public by art collectors. It is worth mentioning the collection of colonel Dimitrie Pappasoglu, donated to the museum in 1909, of which the National Museum of Art of Romania preserves valuable pieces. A collection of medieval art, mostly icons, was established within the Commission for Historical Monuments set up in 1892. In 1935 this collection merged with the department for ecclesiastical objects of the National Antiques Museum, and the Museum of Religious Art was thus founded on the premises of the Kretzulescu Palace near Cimigiu park. (photo 2). These collections represent the nucleus of the Medieval Art Department heritage of the National Museum of Art of Romania, together with other important pieces to be found at Saint Georges and Anastasie Simu museums. In 1956, together with the return of part of the Romanian Heritage by the USSR, the department heritage was enriched with pieces of exceptional value: icons, manuscripts, embroidery, artistic fabrics and orfevrerie. Archeological excavations contributed greatly to enriching the collections. Several in situ discoveries of garments and accessories are worth mentioning, such as those at the Monasteries of Vorone and Dragomirna in northern Moldova, at the Roman-Catholic cathedral in Alba-Iulia and at the Church of the Vad Monastery in Transylvania, dating from the sixteenth-seventeenth centuries. As a result of random and extensive demolition of churches and monasteries in Bucharest in the 1980s the Church of Ieni, monasteries of Cotroceni and Vcreti a range of fragments of stone and wood carvings, icons and mural painting fragments were included in the department heritage. 5

icoane, fragmente de pictur mural decapat. Achiziiile au constituit i constituie o alt surs de mbogire a coleciilor dei, oferta de pia n domeniul artei medievale este modest din cauza raritii pieselor. n acest sens, menionm un manuscris bizantin din secolul al XIVlea o tetraevanghelie (p. 49 ), fragmentul din racla Sfntului Ioan cel Nou de la Suceava - creaia unui atelier bizantin de la nceputul secolului al XV-lea (p. 14), o icoan cu tema Deisis, aparinnd unui atelier transilvnean din secolul al XVI-lea (p. 25), un jil i o icoan reprezentndu-l pe Sfntul Ilie, creaii ale unor ateliere din Moldova secolului al XVIIlea. De asemenea, sunt de amintit dou broderii un vemnt arhieresc, datat 1655, provenit din Creta (pp. 126-127), precum i un epitaf din secolul al XVII-lea. Credem c nu este lipsit de interes s amintim cititorului i un episod dintre cele mai nefaste, privind istoricul coleciei de art medieval romneasc a Muzeului Naional de Art al Romniei. n anul 1971, cu prilejul organizrii Muzeului de Istorie a Republicii Socialiste Romnia, patrimoniul seciei constituit istoric cu mai bine de un secol n urm prin efortul unor ilutrii naintai a fost dezmembrat prin transferul arbitrar al unui numr de 171 capodopere, n beneficiul nou nfiinatului muzeu. Cea mai mare parte a pieselor au fost luate direct din expunerea permanent a seciei. Astfel, aceasta a fost lipsit de unele dintre lucrrile de referin care susineau i mbogeau discursul tematic, n mod special pentru perioada de nceput a artei medievale romneti secolele XIV-XVI perioad din care se pstreaz un numr restrns de mrturii artistice. n prezent, aproape 900 de piese din coleciile seciei sunt expuse n Galeria de Art Medieval Romneasc, redeschis n anul 2002 ntr-o formul muzeografic modern, beneficiind de un spaiu generos pe parcursul a zece sli. Un patrimoniu de o mare diversitate prezentat cronologic dar i comparativ ntre cele trei provincii istorice Moldova, ara Romneasc i Transilvania demonstreaz evoluia artei medievale de-a lungul a patru secole, ilustrnd modul n care particularitile locale s-au grefat pe fondul de tradiie bizantin i au asimilat influene din arta occidental, pentru a da natere, n final, unor forme artistice originale. Anca Lzrescu

New acquisitions have represented another way of enriching collections although the offer on the medieval art market is limited due to scarcity of pieces. We can mention, however, a Byzantine manuscript from the fourteenth century a Four Gospels Book (p. 49), the fragment from the coffin of Saint John the New of Suceava creation of a Byzantine workshop at the beginning of the fifteenth century (p. 14), an icon with the theme of Deesis originating in a sixteenth century Transylvanian workshop (p. 25), a throne and an icon representing Saint Elijah from a seventeenth century Moldavian workshop. Two embroideries are also worth mentioning a bishop garment dating back to 1655 and originating in Crete (p. 126-127) as well as an epitaphios from the seventeenth century. It is also worth mentioning to the readers one of the most unfortunate episodes in the history of Romanian Medieval art collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania. In 1971, when the History Museum of the Socialist Republic of Romania was founded, the heritage of the medieval art department built over a century before through the efforts of illustrious forerunners was dismantled through the arbitrary transfer of 171 masterpieces to the newly founded museum. Most of the pieces were removed straight from the permanent exhibition. Thus, the collection was deprived of some of its most precious pieces that supported and enriched the thematic discourse, particularly as regards the beginning of Romanian medieval art the fourteenth to sixteenth century a period with little artistic evidence that has survived. At present, a selection of about 900 pieces from the department collection are exhibited in the Gallery of Romanian Medieval Art which reopened in 2002 in a modern format with a generous space allocation of ten rooms. This very diverse heritage, presented chronologically as well as comparatively for the three historical provinces Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania indicates the evolution of medieval art over four centuries and the way in which local features were integrated in the Byzantine tradition and assimilated Western influences to generate original artistic forms.

ICOANE
*

ICONS

Icoane
Mrturiile existenei unor preocupri artistice constante pe parcursul ntregului ev mediu romnesc se pstreaz, cel mai adesea, n vechile noastre biserici. Din aceast perspectiv, odoarele bisericeti (icoane, manuscrise, broderii sau vase liturgice) purttoare ale unor sensuri teologice profunde sunt, uneori, singurele repere pentru evaluarea culturii medievale romneti. nelegnd acest lucru, de mai bine de un secol i jumtate, att oamenii de tiin ct i clericii s-au dedicat conservrii i promovrii tiinifice a acestor valori, care i-au ocupat cu timpul locul cuvenit n patrimoniul artistic universal. Astfel, s-a constituit, pe parcursul ultimului secol, una dintre cele mai valoroase colecii de art medieval din Sud-Estul Europei, patronat astzi de Muzeul Naional de Art al Romniei. Lucrrile ce alctuiesc aceast prestigioas colecie sunt, fiecare n parte, capodopere ale genului, purttoare ale unor valori spirituale, istorice i, nu n ultimul rnd, artistice. Caracterul aproape exclusiv religios al artei medievale romneti este dictat, n bun msur, de realitile politice ale acelor vremuri. Pe de o parte, dizolvarea, n 1453, a Imperiului Bizantin induce n contiina principilor statelor ortodoxe de la graniele vechiului Bizan (Serbia, Rusia, rile Romne) ideea reconstituirii imperiale, nu neaprat n sensul recuceririi teritoriilor pierdute ci, n mod programatic, n sensul consolidrii Bisericii Ortodoxe. Pe de alt parte, vecintatea amenintoare a popoarelor pgne, aflate n plin ofensiv asupra lumii cretine, i determin pe domnitorii rilor romne s pun eforturile pentru salvarea dreptei credine (ortodoxia) n fruntea luptei de afirmare a tinerelor state. Primele elemente definitorii pentru conturarea unui fenomen artistic local, marcat nc de la debut de marea art a Bizanului, i fac apariia ncepnd din secolul XIV, odat cu formarea statelor medievale romneti. Aceast amprent artistic, fireasc pentru Orientul ortodox n al crui front ideologic se nscriu i cele dou provincii romneti este cu att mai justificat cu ct nsui Occidentul medieval i face ucenicia artistic n Bizan, strduindu-se pn trziu, n Renatere, s egaleze meteugul artitilor levantini. Circulaia icoanelor sau a artitilor bizantini n ntreaga cretintate era un lucru obinuit chiar i naintea cuceririi Constantinopolului de ctre turci. Cele mai vechi icoane pstrate (ex: Arhanghelul Mihail, p . 15) sau ansambluri de pictur medieval romneti (frescele Bisericii Sf. Nicolae Domnesc din Curtea de Arge i cele din pronaosul Bisericii Mnstirii Cozia), datnd din secolul XV, sunt producii ale unor ateliere bizantine sau operele unor artiti constantinopolitani itinerani. Acest lucru reflect succesul de care s-au bucurat, att n Valahia ct i n Moldova, 8

Icons
Evidence of constant artistic activity throughout the Middle Ages in Romania has been preserved primarily in old churches. Church liturgical objects (icons, manuscripts, embroidery or liturgical vessels) carrying deep theological meanings are sometimes the only landmarks that enable us to evaluate Romanian medieval culture. For over a century and a half, scientists and clerics have dedicated their efforts to preserving and researching such valuable objects that have been included in the universal cultural heritage. During the last century one of the most valuable collections of medieval art in south-east Europe was established and preserved at the National Museum of Art of Romania. The works in this prestigious collection are, each in its turn, masterpieces that embody spiritual, historical and last but not least artistic values. The almost exclusively religious character of Romanian medieval art was largely determined by the political reality in those times. On the one hand, the dissolution of the Byzantine empire in 1453 made princes of Orthodox states on the borders of the former Byzantium (Serbia, Russia, the Romanian principalities) reflect on the idea of rebuilding the empire, not necessarily through re-conquering the lost territories but through consolidation of the Orthodox Church. On the other hand, the threatening neighbourhood of pagan populations expanding into the Christian world, caused the princes of Romanian principalities to place the fight for the defense of Orthodoxy at the centre of the new states policy. The first elements defining local artistic development, influenced from the outset by the great Byzantine art, appeared as early as the fourteenth century, the time when Romanian medieval states were established. Such artistic imprint, natural for the Orthodox Eastern space to which the two Romanian principalities belonged ideologically, was entirely justified as the medieval West itself was an apprentice of Byzantium in the field of art and tried hard until Renaissance times to reach the standards of Byzantine artists. The circulation of Byzantine artists and icons throughout the Christian world was a fact even before the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. The oldest icons to have been preserved (eg. Archangel Michael, p. 15) or the ensemble of medieval paintings (the frescoes of the Princely Church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Arge and those in the narthex of the church of Cozia Monastery) dating from the fifteenth century, are products of Byzantine workshops or works of itinerant artists from Constantinople. This reflects the success of artistic models offered by Constantinople both in Wallachia and in Moldavia. The painted fragment from the coffin of St John the New

modelele artistice oferite de capitala Imperiului Bizantin. Fragmentul pictat din racla Sf. Ioan cel Nou de la Suceava (p. 14) poate fi atribuit unui iconar bizantin din perioada paleolog, care este posibil s fi activat n coloniile genoveze de la Marea Neagr. Iconografia piesei este ns extrem de singular pentru lumea bizantin. Sursa acesteia este martiriul unui sfnt care a devenit, dup ntemeierea primei Mitropolii a Moldovei, patronul spiritual al acestei provincii. Sf. Ioan cel Nou, un tnr negustor din Trapezunt ora din Asia Mic situat pe malul Mrii Negre este martirizat n Cetatea Alb pentru vina de a nu-i fi lepdat credina n favoarea religiei musulmane. Martiriul su se consum n a doua jumtate a secolului XIV, cu puin timp nainte ca Cetatea Alb s fie cucerit de Alexandru cel Bun, Domnul Moldovei. Acest fragment, mpreun cu alte 11 care s-au pierdut, a decorat, se pare, chiar racla n care au fost aduse (ntre 1401 i 1415) moatele Sfntului Ioan cel Nou n Suceava capitala de atunci a Moldovei. Dei nu este opera unui iconar moldovean, pictura raclei va inspira frescele din vremea lui Petru Rare i a Moviletilor. i n secolele XV XVI importurile artistice continu s fie intense; de aceast dat ele provin din Serbia sau Creta, acolo unde, n secolele XIV i XV, pornind de la modelul bizantin, se vor dezvolta adevrate coli artistice de o importan copleitoare pentru Orientul ortodox. Atelierelor cretane ale secolelor XV i XVI le sunt atribuite dou icoane ale Maicii Domnului cu Pruncul (pp. 17,18) din selecia propus. Dei de dimensiuni diferite, una fiind destinat procesiunilor religioase, cealalt cultului privat, icoanele au n comun bogatul decor incizat al aureolelor, element stilistic caracteristic icoanelor cretane din aceast perioad. Icoana de procesiune (p. 18) este o reprezentare a Maicii Domnului cu Pruncul de tipul Hodighitria (Cluzitoarea; n greac: cea care arat calea), cel mai frecvent tip iconografic bizantin avnd ca model miraculoasa icoan a Maicii Domnului de la Mnstirea Hodegon, din Constantinopol. Conform tradiiei, pentru aceast icoan pictat de Apostolul Luca, a pozat nsi Fecioara Maria. Tipul iconografic Hodighitria const n reprezentarea frontal a Maicii Domnului, cu Pruncul n brae i indicnd spre acesta calea cu mna dreapt. Cealalt icoan (p. 17) este o reprezentare a Maicii Domnului cu Pruncul de tipul Eleousa (Milostiva), n care Maica Domnului i Pruncul sunt ntori unul ctre cellalt, atingndu-i uor obrajii. Acest tip iconografic pune n circulaie unul dintre epitetele intens vehiculate n imnologia marial, care surprinde att calitatea Maicii Domnului de Intercesoare pentru iertarea pcatelor ntregii umaniti, ct i pe aceea de Maic ndurerat , demn ea nsi de compasiunea noastr. Considerat pn nu demult ca o reprezentare naturalist a raporturilor fireti, de iubire, ntre

of Suceava (p. 14) can be attributed to a Byzantine icon painter during the Paleologan dynasty, who might have worked in the Genoa Black Sea colonies. The iconography of the piece is unique for the Byzantine world. The source is the martyrdom of a saint who became, after the establishment of the Metropolitan See in Moldavia, the patron saint of this province. Saint John the New, a young tradesman from Trapezunt town in Asia Minor on the Black Sea coast was tortured in Cetatea Alba for the guilt of not having abandoned his faith in favour of the Islamic religion. His martyrdom took place in the second half of the fourteenth century, shortly before Cetatea Alba was conquered by Alexander the Kind, prince of Moldavia. This fragment, together with another 11 which had been lost, had apparently decorated the coffin in which the relics of Saint John the New were taken to Suceava (between 1401 and 1415) the capital of Moldavia at the time. Although not made by a Moldavian master, the coffin painting inspired the frescoes in the times of Petru Rare and the Movil dynasty. Artistic imports continued in the fifteenth-sixteenth centuries; the sources were Serbia and Crete where, based on the Byzantine model, art schools developed in the fourteenth-fifteenth centuries and influenced overwhelmingly the Orthodox East. Two icons of the Virgin with Child included in this selection were painted in Cretan workshops of the fifteenthsixteenth centuries (p. 17,18). Although of different sizes due to their role one for religious processions, the other for private cult the icons share the rich incised decoration of the haloes, a stylistic element characteristic for Cretan icons of the time. The processional icon (p. 18) is a Hodegetria type of the Virgin with Child representation (in Greek the one who shows the way) the most frequent Byzantine iconographic type on the model of the miracle-making icon of the Virgin at Hodegon Monastery in Constantinople. Tradition has it that Virgin Mary herself was the model for this icon painted by apostle Lucas. The Hodegetria iconographic type gives a frontal representation of the Virgin holding the Child and pointing to him he is the way with her right hand. The other icon (p. 17) is a Eleousa type of representation (the Merciful) with the Vigin and Child turning towards each other and touching their cheeks. This iconographic type generated one of the epithets widely used in hymns of Virgin Mary, that of Mediator for the forgiveness of humankind sins as well as Suffering Mother in need of our compassion. Considered until recently as a naturalistic representation of the love relationship between mother and child, as a pattern borrowed from western art, the Eleousa type of representation was known as Mother of Tenderness. 9

mam i copil, ca o autentic scen de gen mprumutat trziu din arta occidental, reprezentarea Maicii Domnului Eleousa a fost cunoscut mult vreme sub denumirea de Maic a Tandreii. Iniial, prototipul su a fost identificat ca fiind celebra icoan bizantin a Maicii Domnului de la Vladimir; ultimele cercetri au pus ns n lumin exemple mai vechi datnd chiar din secolul X. Faptul c iconarii medievali au inscripionat pe cele mai diverse reprezentri ale Maicii Domnului cu Pruncul termenul grecesc Eleousa (n greac: cea care este miloas), chiar i pe acelea ce respect compoziia de tipul Hodighitria, ne relev sensul teologic adnc pe care imnografii greci l-au conferit acestui cuvnt. Asocierea frecvent (n cadrul icoanelor cu dubl fa sau al dipticelor) a Eleousei cu Rstignirea sau cu Iisus-Omul Durerii evideniaz intenia iconografilor medievali de a apropia acest tip de reprezentare a Maicii Domnului de semnificaia Patimilor. La aceeai arie semantic se poate raporta i apariia, ncepnd din secolul XIV, n colurile superioare ale icoanelor denumite Eleousa, a ngerilor cu nsemnele patimilor spre care Pruncul ntoarce uneori capul, speriat, refugiindu-se la pieptul Maicii. Dezgolirea picioruelor Pruncului pn deasupra genunchilor, aa cum apar acestea n reprezentrile lui Iisus pe crucea Rstignirii sau pe piatra Plngerii, intr n aceeai familie de semnificaii. Nici atingerea obrajilor nu este lipsit de nelesuri; i aici iconarul face aluzie la mbriarea din Coborrea de pe Cruce (p. 22) sau la srutul din scena Plngerii (pp. 20,21). Cealalt icoan a Maicii Domnului cu Pruncul de tipul Hodighitria (p. 16) pe care o prezentm n acest context ar putea fi una dintre primele icoane pictate ntr-un atelier local, din porunca egumenului Dorotei de la Mnstirea Govora. Pornind de la numele acestui stare, nscris cndva pe latura inferioar a ramei icoanei, s-a convenit datarea piesei n jurul anului 1530, cnd condicile mnstireti semnaleaz existena unui monah cu acest nume. Acurateea redrii modelului bizantin care l-a inspirat pe iconar, precum i excelena realizrii plastice ar putea ndrepti ns o datare anterioar. Ipoteza este susinut i de recentele cercetri arheologice i de arhiv care mping ntemeierea Govorei cu un veac mai devreme i chiar atest numele unui tritor al mnstirii cu numele de Dorotei, n secolul XV. Comparaia acestei din urm icoane cu alte trei Hodighitrii una provenind dintr-un atelier moldovenesc de la sfritul secolului XVI (p. 19), alta atribuit unui iconar grec de la sfritul secolului XVII i provenind din iconostasul Bisericii Mnstirii Cotroceni (p. 28) iar cea de-a treia lucrat ntr-un atelier transilvnean din prima jumtate a secolului XVIII (p. 32) ne permite s identificm existena unor coli artistice cu trsturi proprii n cele trei provincii romneti. Icoana moldoveneasc este tratat monumental, iar 10

Initially, the famous Byzantine icon at the Vladimir Monastery was considered as its prototype; recent research has revealed older icons, going back to the tenth century. The fact that medieval icon painters wrote the Greek word Eleousa (in Greek, the merciful) on various representations of the Virgin with Child, even on those of the Hodegetria type, indicates the deep meaning associated by icon painters with this word. The frequent combination (in the case of double icons or diptychs) of Eleousa with the Crucifixion or with Jesus, Man of Sorrows brings evidence about the intention of medieval icon painters to associate this representation of the Virgin with the meaning of Passions. The same meaning is illustrated by the presence in the upper corners of the Eleousa type icons, beginning with the fourteenth century, of angels carrying the symbols of the passions, which the scared child turns his head to while He takes refuge at his mothers bosom. Representations of the bare legs of the child, up to above the knees, similar to representations of Jesus inCrucifixion or the stone of Lamentation, has the same meaning. The closeness of cheeks is also meaningful; the painter alludes to the embrace in the Descent from the Cross (p. 22) or at the kiss in the scene of the Lamentation (p. 20, 21). We have selected one more icon of the Hodegetria type (p.16), probably one of the first to have been painted in a local workshop at the request of Father Superior Dorotei of Govora Monastery. Based on his name, once written on the lower part of the icon frame, the date of the icon was established around 1530, when monastery documents record a monk with this name. However, the accurate rendition of the Byzantine model which inspired the painter as well as the exquisite quality of the painting might indicate an earlier date. This hypothesis is supported by recent archeological research and document analysis that indicate the establishment of Govora Monastery a century earlier and record the name of a monk called Dorotei in the fifteenth century. The comparison of this last icon with other three of the Hodegetria type one from a Moldavian workshop at the end of the sixteenth century (p.19), another attributed to a Greek painter at the end of the seventeenth century and originally in the iconostasis of the Church of Cotroceni Monastery (p. 28), and the third made in a Transylvanian workshop in the first half of the eighteenth century (p. 32) bring evidence of the existence of well-established local schools in the three Romanian principalities. The Moldavian icon is of the monumental type, with dramatic expressions of the faces rendered through emphasising the eye shadows or through sudden pass from light to dark areas. Transylvanian icons, although faithful to traditional

fizionomiile capt accente dramatice prin sublinierea cearcnelor sau prin trecerile brute de la zonele luminate la cele ntunecate. Icoanele transilvnene, dei rmn consecvente reprezentrilor de tip tradiional, dovedesc familiarizarea meterilor cu maniera occidental de redare a figurilor i a drapajelor. Icoana relicvar a Sf. Ioan Boteztorul (p. 31) este produsul unui atelier sud-dunrean i se pare c a ajuns n spaiul romnesc la Mnstirea Bistria vlcean - prin intermediul frailor Craioveti refugiai, n mprejurri politice neprielnice, la sudul Dunrii. n blatul icoanei sunt fixate cu cear relicvele tuturor sfinilor reprezentai procedeu singular, din cte tim, n spaiul romnesc, cu toate c epoca era nsufleit de o intens venerare a sfintelor relicve; moatele Sf. Grigorie Decapolitul au fost aduse n aceeai epoc la Bistria. Destinul ntemeietorului Bistriei Barbu Craiovescu , cel care avea s se clugreasc spre sfritul vieii primind numele de Pahomie, confer piesei o semnificaie cu totul aparte n cadrul complexului monastic amintit. n acest context, Sf. Ioan Boteztorul ngerul Pustiei devine un adevrat model al vieii anahoretice iar prezena celorlali sfini martiri n cadrul icoanei nsufleete modelul de via ales de monahul Pahomie, presupusul comanditar al icoanei. Din seria importurilor srbeti regsim n acest volum dou icoane. Cea mai veche dintre ele i, poate, cea mai frumoas pies din colecia de icoane a Muzeului Naional de Art este Plngerea Domnului (pp. 20, 21). Avnd o tem rar abordat n icoane, dar frecvent reprezentat n pictura mural, aceast pies este neobinuit prin nsi compoziia sa, care se deruleaz pe orizontal, fiind mai apropiat ca aspect de epitafele brodate. Maniera de abordare plastic a fizionomiilor, a reliefului muntos, precum i tipul de cruce cu brae lungi, din fundal, sunt caracteristice colii de pictur srbeti de la sfritul secolului XV i nceputul secolului XVI. Anumite inovaii iconografice fa de schema tradiional de reprezentare a Plngerii vasul cu oet, cuiele, tratarea exacerbat naturalist a trupului chinuit al lui Iisus, lipsa aureolei acestuia ne permit s sesizm posibile influene ale goticului occidental, preluate de srbi pe ruta adriatic. Icoana Buna Vestire (p. 26), dei atribuit mediului srbesc al veacului XVI, are ca model o variant constantinopolitan rspndit ncepnd din secolul XII. Maica Domnului primete vestea adus de Arhanghelul Gavriil ridicat, ntr-o atitudine pioas, schind cu mna dreapt un gest de alocuie iar n stnga strngnd ghemul de purpur reminiscen a vechilor figurri ale temei. Sursa literar a acestora este Protoevanghelia lui Iacob, o scriere apocrif n care se povestete c, n momentul apariiei ngerului, Maica Domnului torcea purpura pentru catapeteasma templului. Aceeai tem iconografic este rezervat decorrii uilor mprteti, nc de la apariia acestora. Asocierea Bunei

representations, indicate the painters awareness of the Western technique in rendering faces and vestment folds. The reliquary icon of Saint John the Baptist (p. 31) is the product of a workshop at the south of the Danube and is supposed to have been taken to the Romanian territory at the Bistria Monastery in Vlcea by the Craiovescu brothers who took refuge from difficult political circumstances at the south of the Danube. Relics of all the represented saints were stuck in the icon by using wax a procedure uniquely used on the Romanian territory although saint relics were intensely worshiped at the time. The relics of Saint Gregory Decapolitul were brought to the Bistria Monastery in the same period. The destiny of the founder of Bistria, Barbu Craiovescu, who became a monk towards the end of his life and took the name of Pahomie, gives the piece a special significance. Saint John the Baptist, Angel of the Desert, became a model of monastic life while the presence of other martyr saints in the icon emphasise the life monk Pahomie chose for himself who apparently commissioned the piece. In this volume there are two icons imported from Serbia. The oldest and in our oppinion the most beautiful piece in the icon collection of the National Museum of Art is The Lamentation (p. 20, 21). With a theme rarely represented in icons but often in mural painting, the piece is unusual due to its composition, unfolding horizontally and resembling embroidered epitaphioi. The rendition of the faces, of the mountain relief as well as the type of cross with long arms in the background are characteristic for Serbian school of painting at the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century. Certain iconographic innovations of the traditional representation the bowl with vinegar, the nails, the exaggerated naturalistic rendition of the tortured body of Jesus, the lack of a halo indicate influences of the western Gothic that reached Serbia over the Adriatic Sea. The icon with the theme The Annunciation (p. 26), although attributed to the sixteenth century Serbian space, follows a Constantinople model that circulated in the twelfth century. The Virgin receives the news delivered by Archangel Gabriel standing in a pious attitude, making a speech gesture with her right hand and holding the ball of purple thread in her left hand reminiscent of old representations of the theme. The literary source of such representations is the Protogospel by Jacob, an apocryphal piece of writing whose story goes that the Virgin was spinning the purple thread for the temple iconostasis at the moment of the angel apparition. The same iconographic theme was used for the decoration of royal doors. The association of the Annunciation theme with royal doors and even church entrance doors (eg. the doors at Snagov, p. 142 and Cotmeana, p.143) comes from the vision of Ezechiel about the Incarnation of Jesus and the purity of the Virgin: This door will be closed; it will not 11

Vestiri uilor mprteti i chiar celor de intrare n biseric (vezi uile de la Snagov, p. 142 i cele de la Cotmeana, p. 143) este legat de viziunea lui Iezechiel referitoare la ntruparea lui Iisus i neprihnirea Fecioarei: Ua aceasta va fi ncuiat; ea nu se va deschide i nimeni nu va trece printr-nsa i va fi ncuiat.(Iezechiel, 44:2-3). Uile mprteti care ilustreaz acest volum sunt printre cele mai vechi piese de acest gen pstrate la noi n ar. Produse cu certitudine ntr-un atelier moldovenesc, realizarea plastic a acestora relev principalele caracteristici ale picturii din epoca lui Petru Rare: alungirea siluetelor i aureolele stucate, decorate n relief cu motive geometrice i vegetale. Elegana stilului precum i abilitatea pictorului n redarea anumitor simboluri cum este cel al vlului ce acoper arhitecturile din canatul rezervat Fecioarei (semn al Tainei, n acest caz al ntruprii) atest existena n aceast epoc a unor ateliere de pictur cu tradiie. Icoanele Sf. Paraschiva (p. 27) i Iisus Pantocrator (p. 24) surprind acea caracteristic a icoanelor moldoveneti, care se perpetueaz pe tot parcursul secolului XVI i chiar la nceputul celui urmtor i anume decorarea aureolelor sau a fondurilor cu stuc aurit. Considerat de unii cercettori o influen a Renaterii n arta moldoveneasc, de alii ca element stilistic preluat din arta gotic central european sau din cea polonez, acest tip de decor devine marca iconarilor moldoveni prin intermediul crora aceste elemente ptrund i n celelalte provincii romneti (vezi Icoana Sf. Nicolae, p. 34). Judecnd dup bogia pieselor pstrate i dup particularitile pe care acestea le prezint fa de produciile altor ateliere contemporane, putem presupune c sub domnia lui Neagoe Basarab s-au organizat n ara Romneasc primele coli locale de pictur. Din zestrea de icoane a epocii se singularizeaz icoanele, aa-zise, de familie. Coborrea de pe Cruce (p. 22) este o reprezentare puin obinuit prin paralelismul sugerat de iconar ntre durerea Maicii Domnului i aceea a Doamnei Milia Despina soia lui Neagoe Basarab. Aceasta, asemenea Fecioarei Maria, i plnge fiul pe Teodosie, mort n 1522 pentru care se roag Maicii Domnului: Stpn, primete sufletul robului tu Ioan Teodosie Voievod i adu-l la judecata ta. Introducerea personajelor laice n cadrul iconografiei sacre este o caracteristic a epocii lui Neagoe Basarab. Modelul este preluat din pictura srb, unde, o dat cu instalarea dinastiei Nemanizilor, se practic tot mai insistent reprezentarea ctitorilor, a donatorilor, att n pictura mural ct i n cea de icoane. Apropierile stilistice ntre ara Romneasc i Serbia sunt determinate i de legturile de rudenie dintre Doamna Milia Despina i principii srbi. Reprezentarea acesteia, mpreun cu fiicele sale Stana i Roxanda, n atitudine votiv, n icoana Sf. Simeon i Sava (p. 23) cei doi sfini patroni ai Serbiei este o ilustrare a 12

open and nobody will ever pass through the door and it will remain closed. (Ezechiel, 44:2-3). The royal doors presented in this volume are among the oldest pieces of this kind to have been preserved in our country. Definitely manufactured in a Moldavian workshop, their plastic quality displays the key features of painting in the times of Petru Rare: elongated figures and plastered halos, decorated in relief with geometric and vegetal motifs. The elegance of the style and the painters craftsmanship in rendering certain symbols such as the veil over architectural shapes in the fold area dedicated to the Virgin (symbol of the Sacrament, in this case of the Incarnation) bring evidence about the existence of certain well-established painting workshops. The icons of Saint Parascheva (p. 27) and of Christ Pantokrator (p. 24) display a characteristic of Moldavian icons that perpetuated throughout the sixteenth century and at the beginning of the next one consisting in the decoration of halos and backgrounds with gilded plaster. This type of decoration, considered by some researchers as a Renaissance influence and by others as a stylistic element adopted from East-European or Polish Gothic art, became the trademark of Moldavian icon painters and spread to the other Romanian provinces (see the Icon of St. Nicholas p. 34). The richness of the pieces that have survived and their particular features compared to pieces from other contemporary workshops indicate that the first local painting schools were organized in Wallachia in the times of Neagoe Basarab. The so-called family icons stand out among other pieces of the time. The Descent from the Cross (p. 22) is an unusual representation through the parallel between the pain of the Virgin and that of Lady Milia Despina, wife of Neagoe Basarab. The latter, just like Virgin Mary, was mourning her son, Theodosius, who died in 1522, for whom she prayed to Virgin Mary: Our Lady, receive the soul of your servant prince Ioan Teodosie and bring him to your judgement. The presence of secular characters in a sacred iconography is characteristic to the times of Neagoe Basarab. The model was taken from Serbian painting where, with the settling of the Nemaniz dynasty, the representations of founders and donors were very frequent in mural and icon painting. Stylistic similarities between Wallachia and Serbia were influenced by the family relationships between Lady Milia Despina and Serbian princes. Her votive attitude representation in the company of her daughters Stana and Roxanda in the icon of Saints Simeon and Sava (p. 23) the two patron saints of Serbia is an illustration of these relationships. Dating from 1522-1523, the icon was commissioned by Lady Despina after she had lost both her husband and her sons of whom Theodosius was the very

acestor legturi. Datat 1522-1523, icoana a fost comandat de Doamna Despina dup ce i pierduse att pe soul ct i pe fiii si dintre care Teodosie reprezenta nsi sperana perpeturii dinastice. Era firesc ca, n asemenea mprejurri tragice, Doamna ndoliat s se pun sub protecia patronilor spirituali ai rii sale de origine. Influenele srbeti asupra artei din epoca lui Neagoe Basarab se resimt, n egal msur, i n frescele Bisericii Episcopale din Curtea de Arge, a crei pictur a fost nceput de Neagoe Basarab i finalizat, n 1526, sub domnia lui Radu de la Afumai, de ctre zugravul Dobromir. Din pcate, din mreia de odinioar a vechii picturi nu s-au pstrat dect cteva fragmente, extrase din registrul inferior al naosului cu prilejul restaurrii executate la sfritul secolului XIX de arhitectul francez Lecomte de Nouy. n ciuda protestelor de atunci ale specialitilor romni, comanditarii acestei restaurri au acceptat capriciile arhitectului francez; acesta, incapabil s aprecieze valoarea monumentului pe care se angajase s-l pun n valoare, nu face altceva dect s nlture vechea pictur spre a face loc uneia strin de spiritul artei medievale romneti. Portretul Doamnei Roxanda (p. 35) fiica lui Neagoe i soia lui Radu de la Afumai reprezint un fragment din seria genealogiei politice a ctitorilor de la Arge, n timp ce Deisis-ul (pp. 36, 37) este scena tipic rezervat pn n secolul XVII absidei sudice a naosului. Personajele Deisisului (n greac: rugciune) cei doi Intercesori ai umanitii, Maica Domnului i Sf. Ioan Boteztorul, precum i Iisus n ipostaza de Judector suprem (mprat i Mare Arhiereu) sunt redate n conformitate cu modelele bizantine, ajunse n Muntenia pe filier srbeasc. Arta rii Romneti va fi marcat n evoluia sa, ca i n epoca lui Neagoe Basarab, de figurile unor mari voievozi ca Matei Basarab, erban Cantacuzino sau Constantin Brncoveanu. Acetia, beneficiind de stabilitate politic i de o anumit dezvoltare economic, au reuit s organizeze adevrate coli artistice locale. Apogeul acestui fenomen este atins, n mod incontestabil, n perioada domniei lui Brncoveanu, de numele cruia se leag cel dinti stil artistic cu acoperire n toate cele trei provincii romneti. Emanuela Cernea

hope of dynasty survival. In such tragic circumstances the mourning lady put herself under the protection of the spiritual patrons of her native country. Serbian influences on the art in the times of Neagoe Basarab can be equally noticed in the frescoes of the Episcopal Church in Curtea de Arge, whose painting started under Neagoe Basarab and was finalised in 1526 under the rule of Radu from Afumai by painter Dobromir. Unfortunately only a few fragments of the great old painting have been preserved, extracted from the lower register of the nave during the restoration at the end of the nineteenth century by the French architect Lecomte de Nouy. In spite of Romanian experts protest, the commissioners of that restoration accepted the whims of the French architect; unable to appreciate the value of the monument he had accepted to restore, he does nothing else but to remove the old painting and replace it by one alien to the spirit of Romanian medieval art. The Portrait of Lady Roxanda (p. 35) daughter of Neagoe and wife of Radu of Afumai represents a fragment from the series of political genealogy of Curtea de Arge founders, while the Deesis (p. 36, 37) was the typical scene for the southern apse of the nave until the seventeenth century. The characters of the Deesis (in Greek-prayer) Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist, the two mediators of humankind, as well as Jesus as Supreme Judge (Emperor and Great Bishop) are rendered according to Byzantine models that had reached Wallachia along Serbian channels. Evolution of Wallachian art was marked by several great princes such as Matthew Basarab, erban Cantacuzino or Constantin Brncoveanu. These princes, taking advantage of political stability and a certain level of economic development, managed to organise genuine local art schools. The peak of such development was undoubtedly reached in the times of Constantin Brncoveanu, whose name is associated with the first art style to have spread in all Romanian principalities.

13

SF. IOAN CEL NOU N FATA EPARHULUI - fragment din racla pictat n care au fost aduse din Cetatea Alb moatele Sfntului Ioan cel Nou de la Suceava - nceputul secolului XV; atelier bizantin - foi de aur i tempera pe lemn; 26 x 28,5 cm

SAINT JOHN THE NEW IN FRONT OF THE EPARCH - fragment from the painted coffin in which the relics of Saint John the New of Suceava were brought from Cetatea Alba - beginning of the XVth century; Byzantine workshop - goldleaf and tempera on wood; 26 x 28.5 cm

14

ARHANGHELUL MIHAIL - panoul central al unui triptic - secolul XV; atelier bizantin - foi de aur i tempera pe panou din lemn sculptat; 20,5 x 15,7 cm

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL - central piece of a triptych - XVth century; Byzantine workshop - goldleaf and tempera on carved wood panel; 20.5 x 15.7 cm

15