Anastasis: Research in Medieval Culture and Art (Nov 2016)
L’Eglise de l’hopital du monastère Brâncoveni (Département Olt). Recherches iconographiques / The Church of the Hospital from Brancoveni Monastery (Olt County). Iconographic Research
Abstract
The present paper aims to provide information on the recent restoration of the murals inside the small church of the „Bolniţa” (Romanian word for a chapel lying next to a monastic hospital) of the Brâncoveni Monastery (Department Olt), built by the Prince of Wallachia Constantin Brâncoveanu in 1700. All the inside of the church was covered with frescoes, but my attention focused on the paintings in the narthex. As the church is dedicated to The Archangels, the upper part of the walls is covered with 10 compositions illustrating facts from the Ancient Testament and from the inter-testamental texts in which Angels Michael et Gabriel were involved: The Sacrifice of Abraham, Lot and the destruction of Sodom; Prophet Gideon; The Fake Prophet Balaam; Prophet Daniel and the dream of the king Nabucodonosor; The dream of the Prophet Elijah; Archangel Gabriel announces Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth about the birth of a son, the future John the Baptist; Archangel Gabriel announces Joachim and Ann about the birth of a daughter, Mary; Archangel Gabriel advises Joseph to take Mary as his fiancé; Annunciation. A huge Votive composition of the ancestors of the Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (grandfather, father, grand uncle, the Prince Matei Basarab and his father) is painted on the lower register of the room. Princess Maria, Brâncoveanu’s wife, is present, too.
