Artwork
Liturghia îngerilor - scenă religioasă
Liturghia îngerilor - scenă religioasă is a drawing by Gheorghe Tattarescu. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1867 by Gheorghe Tattarescu, a leading figure in Romanian neoclassicism, this religious sketch titled *Liturghia îngerilor – scenă religioasă* is part of the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings. The composition centers on two winged beings whose outstretched wings dominate the picture, while a smaller, kneeling figure occupies the lower right.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays an angelic liturgy: two celestial figures clasp hands in a gesture of unity, and a robed individual kneels before them, holding an object that suggests a sacramental offering. The contrast between the expansive wings and the modest, almost secondary, kneeler may reflect a hierarchy of the divine and the human participant in the ritual.
Technique & Style
Executed in a restrained palette of faded greens and browns, the drawing relies on simple line work and cross‑hatching to suggest volume and depth. The angels’ wings are rendered with broad, overlapping strokes that fill the field, while the kneeling figure is sketched with fewer details, giving it a tentative, after‑thought quality.
History & Provenance
The piece entered the Museum of Ethnography’s collection sometime after its creation, where it remains accessible for study. Its attribution to Tattarescu aligns with his known engagement with neoclassical principles, reflecting the artist’s formal training and his role in introducing that aesthetic to Romanian visual culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gheorghe Tattarescu (Romanian pronunciation: ; October 1818 – October 24, 1894) was a Romanian painter and a pioneer of neoclassicism in his country's modern painting.
