Artwork
Adormirea Maicii Domnului
Adormirea Maicii Domnului is a drawing by the Baroque artist Ioan Pop de la Făgăraș. It is held in the collection of the Alba Iulia Orthodox Archdiocese.
About this work
Overview
Ioan Pop de la Făgăraș’s work titled “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” portrays a devotional tableau in which a female figure reclines on a table, enveloped in a red blanket. Surrounding her are several robed men, each marked with a golden halo and clasping their hands in prayer. The composition rests against a blue wall, with a modest building depicted centrally in the background.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure represents the Virgin Mary in the Dormition, a traditional Eastern Christian motif that commemorates her passing. The surrounding priests or apostles, identified by their halos, emphasize the sanctity of the moment, while their collective prayer underscores communal reverence for the event.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a straightforward visual language characterized by bold outlines and vivid hues, notably the red of the blanket and the gold of the halos. The flat application of color and minimal shading reflect a folk‑art aesthetic, prioritizing symbolic clarity over realistic modeling.
History & Provenance
Created by Ioan Pop, a painter associated with the Făgăraș region, the work exemplifies local religious art practices. It is presented in a wooden frame bearing a banner with inscription, suggesting it was intended for display in a church or community setting, though specific acquisition details are not recorded.
Context
The piece aligns with the broader tradition of Romanian ecclesiastical painting, where narrative scenes from the lives of saints are rendered in a didactic, accessible style. Its composition mirrors the iconographic conventions of the Dormition, integrating regional artistic traits with established liturgical imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ioan Pop de la Făgăraș painted religious scenes in the mid-1800s, like *Încoronarea Fecioarei* (1846) and *Duminica Floriilor*.
Înălțarea la cer a Maicii Domnului
Prohodul lui Iisus
Prohodul lui Iisus
Plângerea lui Iisus
Prohodul lui Iisus
Prohodul lui Iisus
Punerea în mormânt
Prohodul lui Iisus
Îngroparea lui Iisus Hristos; Înălțarea lui Iisus Hristos la ceruri (Plângerea, Prohodul)
Îngroparea lui Iisus Hristos (Plângerea; Prohodul)