Artwork
Schimbarea la față
Schimbarea la față is an unspecified painting by Simon din Bălgrad. It is held in the collection of the Alba Iulia Unification National Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work titled “Schimbarea la față” presents a surreal tableau of three robed, luminous figures hovering above a sky filled with clouds. Beneath them, two kneeling figures stretch their arms upward while a third lies prone, clutching a red cloth. Jagged mountains and flickering flames form a stark backdrop at the lower edge of the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The central glowing figure dominates the scene, suggesting a focal point of spiritual or transformative significance. The gestures of the kneeling and prostrate figures convey reverence or supplication, while the red cloth may symbolize sacrifice, blood, or a ritualistic element within the narrative.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a flat application of color, with a limited palette that emphasizes gold and red against muted tones. The figures are rendered with minimal shading, creating a luminous, otherworldly aura that contrasts with the rugged, darker landscape below.
Context
The composition draws on traditional iconography of celestial beings and earthly worshippers, yet the floating arrangement and stark, simplified forms align with modernist tendencies toward abstraction and symbolic representation.
Legacy
While specific details of the work’s influence are limited, its striking visual language of light, color contrast, and hierarchical arrangement continues to be referenced in discussions of contemporary religious or mythic imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
These drawings come from a 18th-century Romanian church tradition. They show scenes from the life of Jesus and Mary, like Botezul lui Iisus and Învierea lui Iisus, drawn in dark ink on paper. The figures are posed…
Museum
Alba Iulia Unification National Museum
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