Romania - Eastern Europe - page 504

Pallady, who painted a great number of naked ladies. There's a lively selection of works by
the Impressionists, abstract expressionists, and Cubists; Marcel Iancu's Portrait of a Man
is a brilliant Cubist-inspired work, worth seeking out, as is—for different reasons—Jean
Davis's Portrait of a Woman, which looks like a precursor for Beavis and Butthead . The
most important work here is the handful of otherworldly sculptures by Constantin
Brâncu @ i (1876-1953); spend some time studying Sleep (1908), and then give your
Understanding the Orthodox Church
As you wander into an Orthodox church, you may think that the mass of
beautiful frescoes and icons, and liturgical rites in which a priest keeps dis-
appearing and reappearing from behind the iconostasis are nothing short
of chaotic. You'd be wrong. There is meaning encoded in the design and
layout of the artful interiors and rituals. Before entering, look above the
door. You'll see Christ and several angels, along with the patron saint for
whom the church is usually named. As you enter the pronaos, on the left
are images of the church's builders and financiers, while on the right are
frescoes of the leaders and royalty during the church's inception. Various
important saints will occur throughout; those who practiced healing during
their lifetimes will be holding a spoon, while those who were martyred are
depicted with a cross. Humans painted with wings are said to have lived
their lives like angels. In the dome above the pronaos, you'll see the Holy
Mother praying for you, watching you as you enter; prophets of the Old
Testament surround her. Also in the pronaos is a free-standing icon depict-
ing Romanian saints; worshipers press their lips to this upon arrival. Typi-
cally, men occupy the right side of the church, while women are on the left.
The angels painted on the inside of the main dome over the naos are said
to come down from the heavens to take part in the service. The altar at the
front of the church is the reserve of the priest, and sometimes other men
are permitted to enter; the altar is screened off from public view by an
iconostasis, with a number of painted doors. The Royal Door is in the cen-
ter, and is painted with the Annunciation (Gabriel, carrying a flower,
informing Mary that she will be the mother of God); the emperor who was
permitted to approach the altar traditionally used this door.
From left to right across the iconostasis are the four royal icons: the
saintly church protector, then the Holy Virgin, Jesus Christ, and finally the
patron saint, after whom the church is named. At Mass, the priest will
repeatedly disappear through these doors, returning with different icons
and incense burners strung with bells; the bells emulate the sounds of the
cherubim, while some say the incense denotes Christ in the Virgin's womb
(incense holder). Above the royal icons, a series of smaller panels depicts
major Christian celebrations, or events from the life of Christ; the row above
that depicts Jesus, flanked by Mary, St. John the Baptist, and all the Apos-
tles. Above that is a row of prophets. The nuns at Stavropoleos will happily
elaborate on details of their faith, should you show an interest.