Artwork
Încoronarea Fecioarei
Încoronarea Fecioarei is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Gheorghe Tattarescu. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed among other 19th‑century religious pieces.
„Încoronarea Fecioarei” is an oil painting executed in 1859 by Romanian artist Gheorghe Tattarescu. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed among other 19th‑century religious pieces. Its dimensions and medium are typical of Tattarescu’s studio practice, reflecting the artist’s engagement with ecclesiastical themes during a period of national cultural revival.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a solemn coronation ceremony centered on a kneeling female figure, identified as the Virgin Mary, receiving a crown from a bearded man in green and blue garments. A second figure in a white robe with a red sash observes the act, while a dove hovers above, symbolising the Holy Spirit. The scene conveys a theological affirmation of Mary’s queenship within Orthodox tradition.
Technique & Style
Tattarescu employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing a warm, golden illumination to emerge from a dim background and model the drapery’s folds. The palette of blues, pinks, and muted earth tones creates a serene atmosphere, while the soft focus on the figures imparts a slightly ethereal quality. Brushwork is smooth and controlled, emphasizing the spiritual rather than the material.
History & Provenance
Created shortly before the 1860s, the painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings in the early 20th century as part of a broader effort to preserve Romanian religious art. Documentation traces its acquisition to a donation from a private collector who recognized Tattarescu’s role in shaping national iconography. Since then, it has remained in the museum’s permanent exhibition.
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.
- The Coronation of the Virgin
Madonna and child with Saints Stephen and John the Baptist
The Rest on The Flight into Egypt
The Holy Family with Saint John
Holy Family with Joseph at the Carpenter's Bench
Coroação da Virgem Maria
Închinarea Magilor
The Annunciation
The Holy Family
The Holy Family
The Holy Family
Încoronarea Fecioarei/Apostolii Petru și Pavel