Inside the Garden of Eden: The Rise of a Biblical Theme in the 18th Century Romanian Iconography (1690–1830)
Inside the Garden of Eden: The Rise of a Biblical Theme in the 18th Century Romanian Iconography (1690–1830)

Summary/Abstract: In the second half of the 17th century, the Cycle of Genesis, a theme from the Old Testament, emerges in the Orthodox mural painting of Wallachia. If, during this period, the topic is limited only to a few sequences, after 1700, the number of compositions increases significantly. At the same time, the architectural space dedicated to these stories was changed. This article focuses on the rise of this iconographical topic in Wallachia between 1700 and 1830, as well as on the artistic and historical context that favoured its development. The research was conducted in the following aspects: the structure of the iconographic cycle, the meaning of the core scene (Forbidden fruit), the architectural features that stimulated the circulation of the theme in the Orthodox churches, the reasons behind the growing interest towards the Cycle of Genesis, and, last, but not least, the interest for the characters of the Old Testament and narratives of Wallachian iconography while approaching modernity.

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