IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences

Abstract

The Reigning Church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Arges is one of the oldest monuments in Wallachia. It was built during the fourteenth century, following the pattern offered by the Byzantine churches, by a team of craftsmen, probably brought from the capital city of the Empire. With respect to the painting, most specialists have resembled it to the one in Chora, in Constantinople. The construction began under the reign of Basarab I and was continued by his son Nicolae Alexandru, considered to be, by many specialists, the true founder of the church; the painting was finished by Radu I and by Vladislav Vlaicu, the descendant of Nicolae Alexandru. In Curtea de Arges, there are a number of scenes that are quite rarely found in the painting of Byzantine churches, like The Census in front of Quirinius, considered to be the most beautiful mosaic in Chora, but also The Shelter of Confession etc. The painting in Chora is superior, due to the use of the mosaic technique that allowed the craftsmen to create special effects in what concerns light and colour. In the church from Curtea de Arges, we can find three paintings from three different historic periods, each one having its own special significance. The one dating from the fourteenth century provides the opportunity to establish the influences received, especially, from Chora, the place where the masterpieces of the art of Palaiologoi were created, but also from other Byzantine monuments built during that period.

Keywords: The Reigning Church of Saint Nicholas, Chora, painting, Byzantine art.