PICTURI POPULARE

n vechi biserici romneti de Iemn

{secoIeIe XVIII-XIX}
FOLk ART PAINTINSS
In oId Romuniun wooden churches {the
1th - 19th centuries}
Horio Mifrofon MihoeIo 0hi|
ezvdIuiri
uIe unei urte uitute
ReveIutions of u forgotten urt
Am descoperit ,pe proprie
piele c Romnia ascunde
sumedenie de monumente
uimitoare.
ar uimirea este cu att mai
mare cu ct adeseori nu
gseti nici o publica[ie fie
ea simplu pliant, ghid, ori
tratat de specialitate care
s te incite a le vizita.
discovered with my own
eyes that Romania
conceals many astonishing
monuments. The wonder is
even greater when one
often fails to find a
publication be it a simple
leaflet, guide or specialty
treaty likely to invite one
to wander around.
EvangheIistuI Ioan
Dimitrie Ispas din Gilu, 1824
$RB ( jude[ul $laj)
John the Evonge||st
D|n|t||e |:pc: c| G||cu. !824
S/F8l {Sc|cj ccunIy)
Bisericile de lemn pictate sunt o categorie cu
totul aparte de astfel de monumente.
Ihe pcinIec wcccen churche: cre c very
:pecic| ccIegcry cf :uch mcnumenI:.
aterea Iui Isus
ihai, fiul lui popa Ghit zugravu Plotinariu, 1833
ltenia de sub munte
%he Birth of Jesus
ihai, son to priest Ghit the painter Plotinariu, 1833
ltenia under the mountain
/ormirea Maicii DomnuIui pictor anonim, 1775-1776, ltenia subcarpatic
Dormition of the Mother of Go/ Anonymous painter, 1775-1776,
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
!entru fiecare dintre cei dispru[i se nal[ mai multe cruci: una lng un izvor sau
fntn, o alta la un capt de punte ca s ajute sufletul s treac rul i nc una la o
rspntie, ca s dezlege sufletul, dup cum ne-a explicat parohul satului,
de jurmintele fcute.
For each one of the dead several crosses stand: one near a spring or well, another at the
end of a bridge to help the soul cross the river and another at the crossroads, to
release the soul from the vows made, as the parish of the village explained to us.
Rspndite n multe locuri
nu doar n Maramure, aa
cum [ine s ne conving o
propagand turistic de serie
lcaurile de lemn pictate
vorbesc despre o spiritualitate
romneasc a altor vremuri.
$5rea/ in many 5Iaces - not
onIy in Maramure as a common
tourist 5ro5agan/a tries to
5ersua/e us - the 5ainte/
woo/en 5Iaces of worshi5 reveaI
a Romanian s5irituaIity of yore.
Creatur imaginar pictat pe o u de biseric.
!osibil avertisment asupra Necuratului, care ne pndete
de cum am ieit dincolo de pragul lcaului sfnt
maginary creature painted on a church door.
!ossible warning to $atan who watches us as soon as
we step out the holy place.
ecioara cu PruncuI
pictor i datare necunoscute ltenia de sub munte
'irgin an/ ChiI/
unknown painter and date. ltenia under the mountain
Ca decora[ie de biserici, respectivul gen de pictur este de mult ieit ,din
vog.
Dar l-am putea privi, n zilele noastre, i printr-o perspectiv diferit: cea a
coresponden[elor cu experimente plastice ,moderniste: expresionismul, sau
curentul ,secession". !entru a sugera astfel de trimiteri, prezenta selec[ie de
imagini a favorizat n mod subiectiv reprezentri care se detaau prin
expresivitate, prin insolit prin "stridente" dup cum le percepea cndva
istoricul de art Radu Cre[eanu.
N-am fcut n acest fel dect s ncercm a ncropi modeste pun[i de
comunicare ntre vechi artiti cu viziunile lor adeseori contrariante i un
public al secolului al XX-lea.
As church decoration, that genre of painting has long been unfashionable.
However nowadays we might regard it from a different perspective: that of
the correspondence with "modernist artistic experiments: expressionism, or
the "secession trend. n order to suggest such references, the current
selection of images favoured subjectively depictions singled out due to
their expressiveness, originality by "stridence, as once perceived by the
art historian Radu Cre[eanu.
We did nothing else but try to build modest communication links between the
old artists with their often intriguing views and a 21st century audience
PiI/a ceIor zece fecioare. ecioare nebune
Ioan Pop din Ungurai, 1800
!f&A ( jude[ul $laj)
ParabIe of the %en 'irgins. Ma/ 'irgins.
Ioan Pop of Ungurai, 1800
!f&A ($laj county)
Eva (fragment /in scena PcatuIui Originar)
pictor anonim (coala lui Radu unteanu din Ungureni), pe la 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (jude[ul Maramure)
Eve (fragment from the riginal
$in scene)
anonymous painter (school of
Radu unteanu of Ungureni),
by 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L&
(Maramure county)
nI|area Iui Isus Ia Ceruri pictor i datare necunoscute
ara Lpuului
scension unknown painter and date
Lpu Country
5ostoI
pictor anonim, prima jumtate a secolului al XIX-lea
Muntenia subcarpatic
5ostIe
anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian Muntenia
n cdutureu pinucoteciIor pe brne
In Seurch of Art SuIIeries on eums
aterea Iui Isus
popa Ghit Siciufi din Plotina, 1819, ltenia subcarpatic
%he Birth of Jesus
Priest Ghit Siciufi of Plotina, 1819, $ub-Carpathian ltenia
Buna vestire
pictor anonim, prima jumtate a secolului al XIX-lea, Muntenia subcarpatic
nnunciation
anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian Muntenia
n secolul al XV-lea, urmare a politicii de reforme duse de principii
fanario[i n Valahia, respectiv de monarhia habsburgic n Transilvania,
apruser noi pturi de romni nstri[i.
Acetia tindeau s-i decoreze ctitoriile lcauri modeste, cldite de
cele mai multe ori din lemn ntr-o manier atipic: mai detaat de
scheme i canoane fie acestea bizantine, baroce, ori neoclasiciste
i desconsidernd monumentalul, n favoarea vervei, a sincerit[ii, a
comunicrii afective.
Era poate o sfidare, pe care noile clase ntreprinztoare o adresau unei
aristocra[ii rmase tradi[ionaliste.
During the 18th century, following the reform policies of the !hnariot
principles of Wallachia, of the Habsburg monarchy in Transylvania,
respectively, new categories of wealthy Romanians emerged.
They used to decorate their buildings modest places, more often than
not built of wood in a non-typical manner: more detached from
designs and canons be they Byzantine, Baroque or neocalssical
and disregarding grandeur, in favour of liveliness, sincerity, affectionate
communication.t might have been a challenge, that the emerging
bourgeois classes addressed to a traditional aristocracy
%ierea ca5uIui $fntuIui Ioan BoteztoruI
pictor anonim, 1811
LBTN (jude[ul Maramure)
%he Behea/ing of $aint John the Ba5tist
anonymous painter, 1811
LBTN (Maramure county)
BotezuI DomnuIui popa Ghit Siciufi din Plotina, 1819
ltenia subcarpatic
%he Ba5tism of Jesus Priest Ghit Siciufi of Plotina, 1819
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
PiI/a ceIor zece fecioare. ecioare n|eIe5te
pictor anonim, a doua jumtate a secolului al XVIII-lea
RA (jude[ul Maramure)
ParabIe of the %en 'irgins. Wise 'irgins
anonymous painter, second half of the 18th century
RA ( Maramure county)
Buna vestire
pictor anonim, 1775-1776
ltenia subcarpatic
nnunciation
anonymous painter, 1775-1776
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Isus nv|tor
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
Jesus as %eacher
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
ncepnd ns cam din
a doua jumtate a secolului al XX-lea,
prin ,introducerea neinteligent
a pictorilor brevetati i pomeniti n
onitorul Oficial"
(dup cum nota cndva, acid, istoricul
Nicolae orga) ntreaga pictur
bisericeasc avea s reintre n tipare
prestabilite cele pe care le gira
ierarhia superioar.
However, beginning in the second half
of the 19th century, by the
"unintelligent introduction of the
licensed painters mentioned in the
fficial Gazette (as once the historian
Nicolae orga bitterly remarked), the
entire religious painting would resume
established patterns authorized by
the leadership.
$fnta Paraschiva (?)
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
$aint Parascheva (?)
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Experimentului plastic
romnesc nu i se va mai
acorda ulterior drept de
existen[ dect n arta
profan.
The Romanian artistic
experiment would never
be given a second chance
but in profane art.
Buna vestire, pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
nnunciation anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian Muntenia
Buna vestire
pictor anonim, prima jumtate a secolului al XIX-lea
Muntenia subcarpatic
nnunciation
anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian Muntenia
aterea Iui Isus popa Ghit Siciufi din Plotina, 1814
ltenia subcarpatic
%he Birth of Jesus Priest Ghit Siciufi of Plotina, 1814
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
aterea Iui Isus (/etaIiu)
pictor anonim, 1775-1776
ltenia subcarpatic
%he Birth of Jesus
cncnyncu: pc|nte|. 1775-1776
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Volumul de fa[ reuete
s reproduc zugrveli
pstrate n 29 de vechi
biserici romneti de
lemn.
Ele sunt rspndite n
sate din ltenia, din
Muntenia, precum i de
pe marginile de est i de
nord-vest ale Depresiunii
Transilvaniei; de
asemenea, n ara
Lpuului - o enclav
teritorial apropiat, dar
artistic distinct de ceeea
este denumit azi
"Maramureul istoric.
The present volume succeeds in reproducing depictions preserved in 29 old
Romanian wooden churches. They are spread in villages in ltenia,
Muntenia, as well as on the east and northwest margins of the Transylvanian
Depression; meanwhile, in Lpu Country a close territorial enclave, but
artistically distinct from what today we call "historic Maramure.
ragment /e cata5eteasm
pictor i datare necunoscute
MARA (jude[ul Vlcea)
Cata5etasma ragment
unknown painter and date
MARTA (Vlcea)
Buna vestire
pictor anonim, prima jumtate a secolului al XIX-lea
Muntenia subcarpatic
nnunciation
anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian Muntenia
Rugciunea 5e MunteIe MsIiniIor
pictor anonim (coala lui Radu unteanu din Ungureni), pe la 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (jude[ul Maramure)
Mountain of Prayer
anonymous painter (school of Radu unteanu of Ungureni), by 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (Maramure county)
Pironirea Iui Isus 5e cruce
Dimitrie Ispas din Gilu, 1802
DNGf& MC (jude[ul Cluj)
%he aiIing of Jesus to the Cross
Dimitrie Ispas of Gilu, 1802
DNGf& MC (Cluj county)
Ju/ecata /e 5oi (fragment)
pictor i datare necunoscute
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (jude[ul Maramure)
%he Last Ju/gement (fragment)
unknown painter and date
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (Maramure county)
5ostoIii %oma i BartoIomeu
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
%homas an/ BarthoIomew the 5ostIes
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
5ostoIii Ioan i PaveI
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
John an/ PauI the 5ostIes
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Majoritatea picturilor selectate nu sunt semnate. Ct pentru datare,
adesea doar caracterele chirilice ale scrierii pstrate n uz pn pe
la 1870 ofer indicii vagi.
Most selected paintings are not signed. As for the dates, often only the
Cyrillic characters of the writing used until 1870 provides vague
clues.
ecioara cu 5runcuI
pictor anonim, 1775-1776
ltenia subcarpatic
'irgin an/ ChiI/
anonymous painter, 1775-1776
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Referitor la asemenea reprezentri ,populare", nici mcar specialitii par s
nu se fi pronun[at, pn n prezent, categoric.
"Cercettorul [.] trebuie s prseasc, pentru a le judeca i simti, att
conceptia Renaterii, ct i ideea picturii bizantine. Fiindc e vorba de o
alt lume i de o conceptie diferit de amndou. Ipotezele naivittii i
trnismului nu sunt ntemeiate i nu explic nimic. Sunt numai piedici n
calea pretuirii unei arte de o deosebit valoare."
.D. tefnescu, 1968
Regarding such "folk depictions, not even the specialists seem to have
said something definite until now.
"The researcher [.] has to abandon, in order to judge and feel them, both
the outlook of Renaissance, and the idea of Byzantine painting. As we deal
with another world and an outlook different from both. The hypotheses of
naivete and the peasant movement have no grounds and explain nothing.
They only hinder the appreciation of a very precious art".
.D.$tefanescu, 1968
Cina /in Mamvri
5ictor i /ate necunoscute
OItenia sub-car5atic
$u55er in Mamvri
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Rstignirea
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
Crucifixion
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Intrarea Iui Isus n IerusaIim
ihai, fiul lui popa Ghit zugravu Plotinariu, 1833
ltenia de sub munte
ntry into Jerusalem
ihai, the son of the Priest painter Ghit Plotinariu, 1833
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
$fnta Maria Egi5teanca
pictor anonim, 1812
DMNN (jude[ul $laj)
Saint ary of gypt
unknown painter 1812
DMNN (county $laj)
&n privitor occidental contemporan
acestei arte se declara, la rndul
lui, ncntat, cu toate c l contraria
mesajul echivoc al imaginlor.
ntr-un iurnal de cltorie n
Transilvania, publicat ntr-o revist
vienez de pe la 1845, el sesiza
"multimea figurilor de necrezut
care te privesc ptrunztor, pe de o
parte cu zmbet, pe de alta
scrnind din dinti".
A Western on the contemporary
arts declare, in turn,
delighted, although it displease
equivocal message of the images.
n a diurnal travel in Transylvania,
published in a magazine Viennese
from the 1845, he refer
"Unbelievable crowd figures I look
shrewd, on the one hand with the
smile on the other grind. "
Rstignirea
pictor i datare necunoscute
!R&MBEN ( jude[ul Mure)
Crucifixion
unknown painter and date
!R&MBEN (Mure county)
EvangheIist
Porfirie de la Feisa, 1852
DEAG (jude[ul Mure)
EvangeIist
!orphyry from Feisa, 1852
DEAG (Mure county)
$rutuI Iu/ei i 5rin/erea Iui Isus (/etaIiu)
pictor i datare necunoscute
R& ( jude[ul Mure)
Ju/as Kiss an/ Jesus' Ca5ture (/etaiI)
unknown painter and date
R& (Mure county)
5ostoIuI Iu/a
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
Ju/as the 5ostIe
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Ceea ce uimete n primul rnd la aceste picturi este de excesul de
stilizare i de decorativism. Realitatea vizibil este att de distorsionat
n acele imagini, nct ajungi s te ntrebi dac zugravii lor nu erau
cumva nite mucali[i - un fel de on Creang ai vizualului.
What astonishes most in these paintings is the excessive stylization and
decoration. The visible reality is so distorted in these images, that one
wonders if their painters were not funny people a sot of on Creang of
the visual.
$rutuI Iu/ei i 5rin/erea Iui Isus pictor anonim, 1812
DMNN (jude[ul $laj)
Ju/as Kiss an/ Jesus' Ca5ture anonymous painter, 1812
DMNN ($laj county)
Nu este mai pu[in surprinztor s descoperi cum, aceiai zugravi,
excelau atunci cnd pe chipurile personajelor sacre reprezentau expresii
de ndoial, de deziluzie, ori chiar de derut. Erau ,uitate tririle
imperturbabile, abstracte, ale canoanelor bizantine, ori gesturile patetice
caracteristice barocului, adoptat de catolicismul din acele vremuri.
t is no less surprising to find out how the same painters excelled
whenever on the faces of the holy characters they depicted expressions
of doubt, disillusion, or even disarray. They used to "forget the abstract
poise feelings of the Byzantine canons, or characteristic Baroque
pathetic gestures, adopted by Catholicism of those times.
DubI re5rezentare a Iui Iona vrsat 5e 5mnt /in 5nteceIe chituIui
pictor anonim (coala lui Radu unteanu din Ungureni), pe la 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (jude[ul Maramure)
DoubIe /e5iction of Jonas taken out to earth from the beIIy of the whaIe
anonymous painter (school of Radu unteanu of Ungureni), by 1800
DBRC& Lf!&&L& (Maramure county)
n ceea ce ne privete, credem c picturile n cauz au conservat ceva din
spiritul reformator al secolului n care au nceput s se nasc - al XV-lea,
supranumit ,al luminilor": o n[elegere mai tolerant a naturii umane, cu o
abordare uneori familiar, poate i uor umoristic a sacrului.
As far as we are concerned, we think that the paintings in question have
conserved something of the reforming spirit of the century in which they
emerged the 18th century, called "enlightenment: a more tolerant
understanding of human nature, a sometimes familiar approach, maybe
slightly humorous, to the sacred.
PiI/a ceIor zece fecioare. ecioare nebune
Iosif Perso, paroh al lciului ,1831
VVDEN ( jude[ul $laj)
ParabIe of the %en 'irgins. Ma/ 'irgins
osif !erso, parishioner of Elciu, 1831
VVDEN ($laj county)
5ostoIuI PaveI
Gheorghe, Latco, 1807, ltenia de sub munte
PauI the 5ostIe
Gheorghe, La[co, 1807, ltenia under the mountain
PiI/a ceIor zece fecioare. ecioare nebune
pictor anonim, a doua jumtate a secolului al XVIII-lea
RA (jude[ul Maramure)
ParabIe of the %en 'irgins. Ma/ 'irgins.
anonymous painter, second half of the 18th century
RA ( Maramure county)
Buna vestire
pictor anonim, prima jumtate a secolului al XIX-lea
ltenia subcarpatic
nnunciation
anonymous painter, first half of the 19th century
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
Isus nv|tor
pictor i datare necunoscute
ltenia subcarpatic
Jesus as %eacher
unknown painter and date
$ub-Carpathian ltenia
$fntuI Dumitru
Anghel, Ioan, Badea, rin, 1833
pictur actulamente distrus prin degradarea progresiv, n decurs de c[ia ani, a
bisericii de lemn prsite.
$aint Dumitru
Anghel, Ioan, Badea, rin, 1833
A painting currently destroyed through gradual degradation,, during several years,
of the abandoned wooden church.
$e vede treaba c fenomenul plastic asociat bisericilor de lemn i
caut, nc, terenuri de de inter-rela[ionare: ntre vechii pictori, izola[i
n arhipelagurile lor de candoare, i un public contemporan, npdit
de potopurile vizuale ale secolului XX.
ar undeva pe la mijloc - "riscndu-se s fac oficiul de !.R. - s-au
nimerit autorii acestui album.
t is clear that the artistic phenomenon associated with the wooden
churches is still in search of intertwining fields: among the old
painters, isolated in their islands of candor, and a contemporary
audience, stifled by the visual seas of the 21st century.
And somewhere in the middle "risking a !.R. role the authors of
this album.
58
CUPRI$
DezvIuiri aIe unei arte uitate............3
n cutarea 5inacoteciIor 5e brne.........19
%E%$
#eve|ot|ons o| o |orgotten ort..............3
In $eorch o| Art Go||er|es on 8eoms...........1
58
Heruvim
Chrerubim
$frit / End
Realizatori:
Vasile Andrei
Florentina &drea