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In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the manufacturing techniques of Byzantine church doors in laboratory settings. However, the connection between the iconography and significance of the décor of church doors and their liturgical performativity, as well as their parallels with iconostases in Byzantium, remained a relatively underexplored area of study. This article seeks to delve deeper into these intersections. By focusing on the relationship between the iconography of church doors in Middle to Late Byzantium and their connection to the sacred space and liturgical practices, I aim to shed light on how these artworks played a crucial role in the sacred experience of the Byzantines. This exploration will not highlight only the aesthetic evolution of church door artwork but also emphasize the communal and embodied nature of the religious experience during the Byzantine era. Their intricate designs were not merely decorative elements but served as portals to the divine, enriching the salvation journey of worshippers as they crossed the threshold into the liturgical spaces. By conducting an examination of the development of door iconography and their symbolism throughout the empire's history, the transformation of narrative depictions from the Middle Byzantine era to the Palaiologan period, culminating in a convergence of symbolic meanings within the sacred space of the church, is delineated. This transformation is further exemplified by a sculpted church door from the Principality of Wallachia. By bridging the gap between art history and religious studies, this article aims to rekindle interest in the profound symbolism and significance of Byzantine church doors and their relation to sacred liturgical space, offering a broader perspective on an important aspect of Byzantine heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses the occurrence of the iconography of the ruler crowned by angels in Wallachia in the mid-sixteenth century, a late revival of a Byzantine iconographic model with no examples known in Wallachia prior to this date. In the nave of the infirmary chapel of Cozia Monastery (1543), voivode Radu Paisie is depicted crowned by an angel and blessed by Saint Methodius of Patara, an iconographical hapax. The key for decoding the scene is provided by the Pseudo-Methodian Apocalypse, where a coronation by angels episode is found in the legend of the Last Christian Emperor. The frescoes were made in a political climate when anti-Ottoman war plans intensified in Central Europe following the occupation of Buda.

Before the mural paintings in the church of St. Nicholas of the former Bucovăț monastery (c. 1574), no traces were found of the existence of a Kastorian artistic influence in Wallachia. Carmen- Laura Dumitrescu was the first to point out the Kastorian iconographic and stylistic influences at Bucovăț. The present study proposes an investigation of the iconography and style of the paintings of Bucovăț, indicating several similarities with the murals in the church of St. Demetrius in Palatitsia (1570), the work of Nicholas of Linotopi and his team, descendants of the painting traditions of the Kastoria and Ohrid workshops. A contemporary influence originating in Serbia can also be seen at Bucovăț, pointing to the area of the newly restored Patriarchate of Peć (1557) as a place where the main painter, a Greek, may have had contacts. Our research extends to the subsequent Wallachian painted churches: the church of the Annunciation in Pitești (1564-1568 or post 1594), the church of the Căluiu monastery (1594), the Princely church in Târgoviște (late 16th cent.), the church of Sts. Archangels in Ruda-Bârsești (1624). The study concludes that a Kastorian influence coming probably via the revitalized sites of the Archdiocese of Ohrid and the Patriarchate of Peć entered Wallachia after the mid-16th century and blended into the iconography and the style of the local painters, being in part responsible for the peculiar iconographic and stylistic trends of the late 16th-century Wallachian painting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Eclectic and Visual Culture in Medieval Moldavia" is a comprehensive handbook on the visual culture of medieval Moldavia. The book aims to shed light on the internationally little-known material of Moldavia and its marginalized place in art history discourse. It covers topics such as cultural contacts, artistic exchange, and visual eclecticism in art and architecture. The book explores the period from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the end of Peter Rareş's reign in 1546, as well as the periods before and after this cultural and artistic momentum. The author emphasizes the issues of patronage and cultural contact in moments of crisis and how they were articulated artistically. The book is structured into seven chapters that cover various aspects of Moldavian visual culture, including political position, princely ideologies, patterns of patronage, church architecture, and mural decorations. The author describes Moldavia as a frontier zone with vital connections to Greek, Slavic, and Latin political and cultural spheres, resulting in a syncretic visual vocabulary. The book also explores the concept of stylistic eclecticism in Moldavian art and architecture, emphasizing the intentional selection process. However, the origin and formation of the artists and builders in Moldavia remain largely unknown. The book provides an integrated analysis of Moldavian monuments, considering their architecture, iconography, light effects, acoustics, and performativity. It concludes with a recapitulation of the main ideas and methodology, along with an extensive bibliography and index [Extracted from the article]

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The article explores Byzantine and Greek influences on Wallachian culture during the 17th and 18th centuries. The author reflects on the history of medieval Romanian society and the role of cultural dualism manifest in the influence and impact of neighboring cultures. It is suggested that Christian Orthodox communities felt a cultural unity with Greek society. Emphasis is given to the process of cultural exchange through commercial contacts and the marketing of Oriental elements of decorative art.