ON THE VOTIVE PAINTINGS IN THE PRINCELY CHURCH OF CURTEA DE ARGEȘ: DESCRIPTION, MEANINGS, AND INTERPRETATIONS

DOI https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10458992 Abstract Votive paintings are part of the iconographic program of our churches and date back to the fifth century, being spread in the Byzantine art, which opened their way to our culture as well. They represent the image of the founder of a place, offering valuable information about the respective era, about its clothing style or relish, about the artistic influences or the painting technique, etc. The oldest votive paintings are considered to be the famous mosaics of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora from San Vitale in Ravenna, which make a powerful impression thanks to the splendour and the decorative richness of the garments. In Romania, the votive picture was interpreted differently depending on each region, being influenced by the glamour and the ceremonial specific to Byzantine art, but also by Western or other influences. Curtea de Argeș is the city that houses one of the most representative religious monuments in our country, with a special cultural significance, which reproduces the Romanian rulers that were the founders of this valuable work of art and culture, the Princely Church of Sfântul Nicolae. Two of the founders of the place, Nicolae Alexandru and Vladislav Vlaicu, are represented here. The two votive paintings that adorn the interior of the Princely Church, along with the other religious compositions, are considered particularly interesting, but also controversial. The latest research concluded that the repaintings but also the lack of inscriptions make it difficult to establish the exact identity of the characters, although, until now, most specialists in the field have claimed a precise identity. For this reason, the Argeș monument increases its scientific value, being permanently the object of new research and interpretation. Keywords: founders, rulers, votive paintings, the Princely Church of Curtea de Argeș, Nicolae Alexandru, Vladislav Vlaicu, Byzantine art.