Artwork
Deisis
Deisis is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Savu Poienaru. It dates from 1808 and is held in the collection of the Alba Iulia Orthodox Archdiocese.
About this work
Overview
The composition centers attention on the crowned individual, while the overall palette features deep, somber tones accented with gold.
Created in 1808 by Savu Poienaru, the work titled Deisis is an oil painting preserved in the Museum of Ethnography. It depicts three standing figures arranged horizontally, with a central figure in a gold‑trimmed robe and crown, flanked by a staff‑bearing figure on the left and a book‑holding figure on the right. The composition centers attention on the crowned individual, while the overall palette features deep, somber tones accented with gold.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, adorned in a golden robe and crown, appears to hold a small object, suggesting a role of authority or intercession. The left figure’s staff and the right figure’s inscribed book evoke symbols of governance and scholarship, respectively. Together the trio may represent a traditional Christian Deisis motif, wherein Christ is flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, each embodying distinct theological virtues.
Technique & Style
Poienaru employs a balanced, symmetrical arrangement that guides the viewer’s gaze toward the central figure. The brushwork conveys a sense of solidity, with rich, dark pigments contrasted by luminous gold detailing. Signs of aging—fading and surface wear—are evident, indicating the painting’s early‑19th‑century origin and the natural patina accrued over two centuries.
History & Provenance
The painting has remained in Romanian collections since its creation, eventually entering the holdings of the Museum of Ethnography. Documentation confirms its attribution to Savu Poienaru and its dating to 1808, though the exact circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are not recorded in the available sources.
Artist & collection
Artist
Savu Poienaru left behind a small set of religious drawings and paintings from the early 1800s.
