Artwork

Sfântul Mare Ierarh Nicolae, făcător de minuni, îmbrăcat în veșminte liturgice, de ierarh, sacos gri și felon roșu vermillon, epitrahil-patrafir brun-bronziu cu patru cruci. Ține în mâna stângă Sfânta Evanghelie închisă și cu dreapta Binecuvântează. Este unul dintre cei mai populari și iubiți sfinți, ocrotitor al caselor, familiilor și copiilor. Are barbă sură-albă și mithră arhierească și aureolă. Fondul este albastru-regal gri senin. În registrul superior sunt Dumnezeu-Tatăl Binecuvântând și Maica Domnului Ocrotind cu luminosul Acoperământ. Desenul este stângaci și cromatica vie-puternică și luminoasă: roșu vermillon, orange, gri, ocru, albastru regal-gri deschis. Inscripția din româno-chirilică se traduce Sf Nicolae. Icoana este de Mărginimea Sibiului.

Unknown , 1902

Sfântul Mare Ierarh Nicolae, făcător de minuni, îmbrăcat în veșminte liturgice, de ierarh, sacos gri și felon roșu vermillon, epitrahil-patrafir brun-bronziu cu patru cruci. Ține în mâna stângă Sfânta Evanghelie închisă și cu dreapta Binecuvântează. Este unul dintre cei mai populari și iubiți sfinți, ocrotitor al caselor, familiilor și copiilor. Are barbă sură-albă și mithră arhierească și aureolă. Fondul este albastru-regal gri senin. În registrul superior sunt Dumnezeu-Tatăl Binecuvântând și Maica Domnului Ocrotind cu luminosul Acoperământ. Desenul este stângaci și cromatica vie-puternică și luminoasă: roșu vermillon, orange, gri, ocru, albastru regal-gri deschis. Inscripția din româno-chirilică se traduce Sf Nicolae. Icoana este de Mărginimea Sibiului. is a drawing by Unknown. It dates from 1902 and is held in the collection of the ASTRA National Museum Complex. This wooden panel bears the image of Saint Nicholas, painted in a traditional Romanian iconographic style.

About this work

This is a wooden panel with five vertical strips of different wood tones—dark brown, reddish, and a pale beige.

This is a wooden panel with five vertical strips of different wood tones—dark brown, reddish, and a pale beige. The top left corner has a faded handwritten number: "1219-0.C." The wood looks weathered, with visible nail holes and rough edges. No paint or image is visible here.

The panel is likely part of an old religious icon, judging by the inscription and the wood’s age. These pieces were often reused or repurposed in traditional craftwork.

Look up *cult object* to see how everyday items became sacred in folk traditions.

Overview

This wooden panel bears the image of Saint Nicholas, painted in a traditional Romanian iconographic style. The surface shows signs of age: weathered wood, nail holes, and uneven edges, suggesting reuse or repurposing. Though the painted figure remains legible, the surrounding wood is bare, indicating the panel may have once been part of a larger devotional structure, later dismantled or altered.

Subject & Meaning

Saint Nicholas is depicted in full episcopal vestments—gray sacos, vermilion felon, and a bronze-hued epitrahil adorned with four crosses. He holds a closed Gospel in his left hand and raises his right in blessing. His silver-gray beard and archiepiscopal mitre signify his ecclesiastical rank. Above him, God the Father and the Virgin Mary are shown in blessing, reinforcing his role as intercessor. Revered as protector of households and children, his image served as a spiritual anchor in domestic and communal life.

Technique & Style

The painting employs vivid, saturated hues: vermilion, ochre, orange, and a pale royal blue. The brushwork is direct and somewhat asymmetrical, typical of regional folk iconography rather than academic training. The background is flat and unmodulated, drawing focus to the saint’s form. The inscriptions are in Romanian Cyrillic, reading 'Sf. Nicolae,' aligning with local liturgical traditions of the Mărginimea Sibiului region.

History & Provenance

The panel originates from Mărginimea Sibiului, a culturally distinct area in Transylvania known for its preserved religious art. The faded handwritten number '1219-0.C.' on the upper left corner suggests cataloging, possibly by a collector or ecclesiastical archive. The wood’s irregularity and exposed nail holes indicate it was once part of a multi-panel iconostasis or altarpiece, later separated and preserved as a fragment.

Context

In rural Romanian communities, icons like this were not merely decorative but functional objects of veneration. Their placement in homes or chapels connected daily life with divine protection. The reuse of wooden panels reflected both economic necessity and spiritual continuity—materials were valued for their sacred history, not their form. This object embodies the blending of liturgical tradition with folk pragmatism.

Legacy

Though incomplete, the panel retains its devotional integrity. Its survival as a fragment underscores how religious artifacts were preserved through adaptation rather than preservation. Today, such pieces serve as tangible links to a pre-modern spiritual culture, where the sacred was embedded in the material world through repetition, reuse, and quiet reverence.