Wall Paintings of the Church of St. Petka (Paraskeva) in Tavalichevo Village Cover Image
  • Price 4.50 €

Стенописите в църквата „Св. Петка“ в село Таваличево
Wall Paintings of the Church of St. Petka (Paraskeva) in Tavalichevo Village

Author(s): Tsveta Kuneva
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, History of Art
Published by: Институт за изследване на изкуствата, Българска академия на науките
Keywords: monumental painting; Western Bulgaria; St. Paraskeva Roman woman; Annunciation; life cycle of St. Nicholas

Summary/Abstract: The Church of St. Petka (Paraskeva) in the Kyustendil area village Tavalichevo has not, as of yet, been subject to thorough analysis by art historians. It is mentioned in some summarizing studies and in publications by local historians and by restorers, specifically after the discovery of preserved paintings in 2012. The original temple‘s architecture is typical for the post-Byzantine period, with murals by icon painters of local significance. Today the wall paintings are well preserved on the vault and eastern wall, but partially preserved on the southern and northern walls. They date back to the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century. A great part of the images have never been published and/or identified up to this point. Amongst them the scenes from the Life of St. Nicholas deserves special attention. The wall painting program is traditional for late medieval Balkan art, but presents some interesting iconographical features (such as the figure of St. Paraskeva of Rome or the fan-like backrest on the throne of the Virgin of the Annunciation) and contributes to the overall understanding of the art trends in Bulgaria during that period.

  • Issue Year: 2022
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 129-150
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: Bulgarian