Artwork

Icoascri

Icoascri, by Hugo Kołłątaj
Icoascri, by Hugo Kołłątaj

Icoascri is a drawing by Hugo Kołłątaj. It is held in the collection of the "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum.

About this work

Overview

Icoascri is an image‑based work that presents a religious tableau set against a blue backdrop. Central to the composition is a figure in a red robe, distinguished by a halo, who grasps a yellow rope linked to a horse. The horse appears amid clouds and floral motifs, while a secondary figure is positioned in water beneath the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The painting juxtaposes celestial and terrestrial elements: the haloed man suggests sanctity, the rope may symbolize a tether between the divine and the earthly, and the horse, surrounded by clouds and blossoms, conveys movement and vitality. The presence of a figure in water introduces a possible baptismal or purifying context within the religious narrative.

Technique & Style

Rendered with bold outlines and saturated hues, the work echoes conventions of traditional religious art. The bright red, yellow, and blue palette, combined with stylized clouds and floral accents, creates a dynamic visual rhythm. The composition relies on flat areas of color rather than chiaroscuro, emphasizing symbolic content over naturalistic depth.

Context

Although the artist is not identified in the provided information, the piece aligns with the visual language found in the oeuvre of Hugo Kołłątaj, a known practitioner of religious imagery. The wooden frame and the image’s format suggest it may have been intended for devotional display within a private or ecclesiastical setting.

Artist & collection

Artist

Hugo Kołłątaj

This Polish folk painter worked in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, creating religious scenes with bold colors and simple shapes.