Abstract
The article analyses the occurrence of the iconography of the ruler crowned by angels in Wallachia in the mid-sixteenth century, a late revival of a Byzantine iconographic model with no examples known in Wallachia prior to this date. In the nave of the infirmary chapel of Cozia Monastery (1543), voivode Radu Paisie is depicted crowned by an angel and blessed by Saint Methodius of Patara, an iconographical hapax. The key for decoding the scene is provided by the Pseudo-Methodian Apocalypse, where a coronation by angels episode is found in the legend of the Last Christian Emperor. The frescoes were made in a political climate when anti-Ottoman war plans intensified in Central Europe following the occupation of Buda.
Highlights
Apocalypse, Byzantine apocalyptic literature, donor portraits, but if and how each of those contributed to the foundation coronation iconography, infirmary church of the Cozia mon- is unclear, leading to different interpretations
A common astery, sixteenth-century painting older opinion was that voivode Radu Paisie had been the main founder and the hieromonk Maxim of the Magister
Others have lately speculated that hieromonk Maxim might have been the real initiator of the foundation and/or of the paintings, who wanted to remain inconspicuous and whom the voivode Radu and the protospatharios Stroe, whose portraits were depicted in the church, helped with donations.[4]
Summary
The article analyses the occurrence of the iconography of the grace Metropolitan Varlaam, under the hegoumenos Hiruler crowned by angels in Wallachia in the mid-sixteenth century, a late revival of a Byzantine iconographic model with no examples known in Wallachia prior to this date. In the nave of the infirmary chapel of Cozia Monastery (1543), voivode Radu Paisie is depicted crowned by an angel and blessed by Saint Methodius of Patara, an iconographical hapax. The Apocalypse of Saint Methodius inspired other Byzantine eschatological writings: the Vision of Daniel,[25] the Vision of Andrew Salos,[26] Pseudo-Chrysostom,[27] and the Oracle of Emperor Leo the Wise.[28] One of the earliest versions of the Vision of Daniel, dating from the ninth century, tells that the emperor of Byzantium who will release the Christians from the Ishmaelites will be appointed and crowned by angels[29]. Radu Paisie’ policy in favour of Ferdinand of Habsburg was discovered by the Ottomans at the beginning of the year, leading to his removal from the throne in March 1545 and his exile to Egypt
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