Opis

Mihail George Manu married Smaranda Văcărescu on March 26, 1796, on the occasion of which he received as dowry the Văcărescu family estate from Leordeni. Here, he would restore the old manor and build a modern residence in the classical style, alongside which he would also erect a church, serving as a family chapel, later donated to the village of Leordeni. According to the inscription on the commemorative stone, the construction was completed in 1808, with the mural paintings added later. The lives of the saints and the icons inside were created by painter Mincu, and later, in 1825, the votive painting that is depicted in the present picture appeared. The mural painting was executed by none other than Nicolae Polcovnicul, one of the most important artists at the turn of the 18th to 19th centuries, a significant pioneer in the history of Romanian arts. He is considered among the first proto-modern artists who successfully transitioned from a fine painter to a canvas painter. Regarding the votive painting, the same Polcovnicul made an interesting, even unusual choice for that time: the painting was in oil on the interior walls of the church

Dimenzioniranje

Širina 201, Visina 166

Bilješke

On the back, inventory number of the National Museum of Art of Romania, PN GG 3523.

Materijal

oil on canvas

Lokacija

Artmark românia

Podrijetlo

collection of Gen. George Manu (1833 - 1911); collection of Constantin G. Manu (1871-1959); since 1948, collection of the Alexandru Saint-Georges Museum; since 1949, collection of the Museum of Art of the R.P.R., inv. 3523; since 2015, collection of the descendants of Constantin G. Manu.

Informacije o istraživanju

On the back, plaque, "The Grand Vornic Mihail G. Manu, his wife Smaranda Văcărescu, founders, and their children - from left to right - Ana Kociubei, Dimitrie, Nicolae, Constantin, Alexandru, Ioan, George, and Grigore. An ancient mural painting from the Church of Leurdeni. The work is reproduced in the catalog 'Documents from the 16th - 19th Centuries Concerning the Manu Family,' Constantin George Manu, Royal Court Printing House, Bucharest, 1907, p. 558, with the description: 'The Grand Vornic Mihail George Mano, his wife Smaranda née Văcărescu, and their children (in the middle on the right, Ioan Mano, Caimacam of 1858). Mural painting from the Church of Leurdeni (Ilfov).' The canvas is an epoch copy after the votive painting created by Nicolae Polcovnicul, completed in October 1825, commissioned by Mihail Manu for the family chapel of the Manu estate in Leordeni."