Zugravii Iacov şi Toader: reconsiderări biografice
The Painters Iacov and Toader: Biographic Reconsiderations

Summary/Abstract: The study begins from a few older considerations of the authors referring to the biographies of the two artists, Iacov from Răşinari, settled down in Feisa around the middle of the XVIIIth century, and his apprentice, Toader. Thus, it is recalled the distinction between the identity of Iacov the painter, the son of priest Radu from Răşinari and that of his younger contemporary, with whom he was confused, meaning priest Iacov, son of priest Man from Răşinari. Then, the triple identity of Toader the painter, known in the speciality literature as Toader Ciungar, Toader Popovici and Toader Zugravul, is reduced, for the moment, to one, considering that the creations attributed or signed with the three names have sufficient similitudes to be considered the work of one hand. Also, the biographies reconstituted on their behalf have sufficient common points to reduce them to one, that of an artist trained up around Iacov from Răşinari, who remained a close collaborator of the master and his eldest son, Gheorghe Zugravul. The proper content of the study is the analysis of a group of creations made by Iacov and Toader for the wooden church from Rădeşti (Alba County), transferred in the neighbouring village, Şoimuş, after 1910. Previously, these creations were attributed exclusively to Toader the painter, whose signature had been read on the arch of the church before the destruction of the mural painting through the process of displacing. The analysis of these pieces (three imperial icons, the imperial doors, 2 feastal icons and a tetrapod cross) by comparison with the work signed by Toader, respectively by Iacov, imposed their whole reattribution to the latter; year 1743 when they were made, also registered by the mural painting, becomes the earliest moment in which the two artists are found working together on the same site. To complete the analysis there have been entered into discussion other pieces whose attribution pendulated between the two artists (the icons from Cuci, Mureş County) or were attributed to Toader Zugravul (imperial doors and icons made for the churches from Meşcreac (Alba County) and Petea (Mureş County) and an icon destined to the church from Bărdeşti, Mureş County). Their dating at very close dates, completed with information provided by other works, allowed the reconstitution of the common professional development of the two painters, whom we see together in Rădeşti, in 1743, then in Bărdeşti, in 1744, in Sânpetru de Câmpie in 1745, in Ciunga in 1746, in Petea in 1746-1747. There follow several years in which both artists seem to have pursued their own career: Iacov lingered on the cathedral from Blaj between 1747-1749, Toader is travelling back and forth, between localities from Mureş, but they meet again in Cuci in 1753-1754, and in Frunzeni in 1783.

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