Mănăstirea Secu. Buletin istoric şi cultural, I, Galaţi, 2025, pp. 65-91
TEMATICA PRODROMITĂ ÎN PICTURA MURALĂ A BISERICILOR MOLDOVENEŞTI DIN SECOLELE XV-XVI
(UN REPERTORIU)
AUTOR: Emil DRAGNEV
Cuvinte Cheie: Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul, ciclu hagiografic, program iconografic, arta medievală în Moldova
Keywords: St. John the Baptist, hagiographic cycles, iconographic program, Medieval Art of Moldova
PRODROMIC THEMES REGARDING MURAL PAINTING OF THE MOLDOVAN CHURCHES FROM THE XVTH-XVITH CENTURIES
(A REPERTOIRE)
(Abstract)
Being also known in the nave space (especially in Voroneţ and St. Elijah in Suceava), the prodromic cycles in the narthex have a special connection with those of the patron saints, necessarily present in this space of the churches of Stephen the Great.At Pătrăuţi, the scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist are in connection with the patron saint cycle – The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, reflecting passages from homiletic literature, also illustrated in other cases, such as at Arbore and on a Greek icon from the end of the 15th century in the Louvre.Also, the prodromic cycle is present in the large tympani of the narthex of the church of St. Elijah near Suceava, being in connection with the patron saint cycle, that of the Life of St. Prophet Elijah.In panegyric literature, several symbolic connections are known between one of the most famous Old Testament prophets, St. Elijah, and the last prophet, St. John the Baptist (the theme is revealed in a developed way in the Word of Praise for the Most Glorious Prophet Elijah, attributed to Grigore Ţamblac).
Also, a developed cycle dedicated to St. John the Baptist is present in the narthex of the church dedicated to him, that of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist at Arbore, being inspired by a textual source revealed by Constanţa Costea.During the 16th century, the prodromite cycle from the cathedral of the Roman bishopric stands out, in which case, it appears in a suite of hagiographic cycles, and the one from Suceviţa, very close in content to the one from Roman.The cycles from Roman and Suceviţa are mainly inspired by evangelical sources.