Daniel Codrescu, painter of Romania’s National Cathedral, coordinated last month the painting of the vault from under the entrance tower of Sihăstria (Neamț) Monastery. The team of church painters was joined by Romanian volunteers from all over the world, who learned the mosaic technique and made mosaic icons for the exterior of the tower.
Five painters worked on the entrance vault fresco. “In the middle, we placed a scene called ‘The Mother of God – Speaking Heaven’, inspired from a Church hymn dedicated to her,” declared Daniel Codrescu for Basilica.ro.
“This shows that the monastery is under the direct protection of the Mother of God, as it was shown in some elders’ vision,” added the painter.
Another icon painted on the vault is Righteous Anna with her daughter, the Mother of God: “The iconography is specific for the North of Moldavia – they are represented as Orantae (in prayer),” Daniel Codrescu said.
“On each side are scenes related to the announcement made by the angel to Righteous Anna and the announcement made to Righeous Joachim. On the lower register are represented Romanian saints and saints from Neamț county: St. John Jacob of Hozeva, St. Paisios of Neamț, St. Theodora of Sihla”, added the painter.
He said the original element of the fresco is the representation of the four elders of the monastery: Cleopa, Paisie Olaru, Ioanichie Bălan and Ioanichie Moroi.
While the painting works were unfolding, Daniel Codrescu also gave a training in the art of mosaic for Romanians from all over the world.
“We had 20 trainees from Bucharest, Cluj, Iași – some experienced, others not. A young woman came from France and two Romanians came all the way from Australia,” said the painter. Coordinated by him and by painter Maria Roman, the participants made the mosaic icons for the exterior of the entrance tower.
“It was a creation camp accompanied by a spiritual experience”, said Daniel Codrescu. “And it brought gain for the monastery by producing the exterior mosaic icons in a very short time.”
Daniel Codrescu also made a presentation of the work he coordinates at the National Cathedral and the participants expressed their wish to help in similar efforts.
“The month we spent working in the monastery was an intense spiritual experience. I met many elders who offered spiritual words of advice and I met many monks withdrawn into wilderness,” declared Daniel Codrescu.
Participating in the Divine Liturgy every morning and the memorable autumn landscape helped them recompose their souls.
“We have witnessed an atmosphere filled with love and brotherhood. This was the greatest lesson for us, who are accustomed to competing with the other – especially in pride, not in good deeds,” remarked the painter.
“There we saw a different type of competition, a spiritual one: everybody was trying to compete with themselves in doing their spiritual work as good as they could.”
The entrance tower of the Sihăstria (Neamț) Monastery has recently been remodelled to meet the needs of access into the perimeter. The works were part of a restoration program on EU funds and focused on more buildings. Among them, the monastery museum and “St. Joachim and Anna” Chapel.
Photo credit: Daniel Codrescu’s personal archive (article opening)
