There is little that can be charachterised as being “more” typical Romanian than the monasteries of Northern Moldova, or Bucovina, as it is more often referred to. Churches wholly painted on the exterior of their walls are little represented elsewhere, if at all.
The period of Glory of the painting on wall was between the second half of the 15th century and the 17th century. During this time-frame, four periods are to be distinguished, which represent different stages of perfecting the Moldavian Art. The two most important are, however, the first two, the period of Ştefan cel Mare, during the second half of the 15th century and the period of Petru Rareş, during the first half of the 16th century.
The beginnings of such paintings are probably at the half of the 14th century, when a Moldavian state has been formed under Dragoş and Bogdan,. Both coming from Maramureş, a Transilvanian Province, they were accustomed with the Western architecture, which they sought to combine with a byzantine-orthodox culture of the Romanians.
Of great importance is the reign of Ştefan cel Mare, who brought along some political stability and military excelence in the area. During his long reign (50 years), he succeeded in forming a school of builders and imposing a certain style which became typical for his time. He imported both some elements of the gothic style, which he superposed with some local decorative elements of the portals, and a row of colourful bricks. During the late 1470 and the beginnings of the 1480, the Moldavian style becomes a clear-cut style: bulding materials (of churches, predominantly) were stone and bricks; a general cube or treffle outlook or a combination of the two; demi-spherical vaults, which are suspended on pandantives; in the main hall of the churches the arches of the vaults intersect, which gives the church more stability and a very expressive volumetric composition.
The painting, during the same time, gives to the Byzantine strict rules a local colour. Maria, in the Deseis (that is The Prayer, depicting the Trinity of the New Testament), has the Moldavian Crown and the same dress as the Moldavian rulers. Otherwise, the painting keeps strict rules, as, in the Orthodox world, the church-painting is the Bible of those who cannot read. While the upper part of the church is depicting the skies, is reserved to the representation of the Divine, while the lower half of the walls are reserved to the more day-to-day churchly facts – bibic legends, military saints and the picture of those who donated money for the building of the church.
The painting on the exterior is however characteristic of the 16th century Moldova, namely the time of Petru Rareş. How it has got to Moldova, is uncertain, as everywhere it hows up on Western territory, it has not a coherent iconographic programme.
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