St. Nicholas

Type: Icon

Period: The middle of the 19 century

Author: Dimiter Molerov

Dimiter T. Molerov, born in 1780 in Bansko, son of Toma Vishanov the Moler. One of the best-known painters, a representative of the Bansko school of art, a disciple of his father, influenced by the art of Athos. Author of the murals of the naos in the St Archangels' paraclete in the Rila monastery, the murals in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in the Pchelino dependance. In 1840 and 1841 together with his son Simeon Molerov he paints the murals and the sponsors' portraits in St. Nicholas' and St. John of Rila's paracletes in the principal church in the Rila monastery. Among D. Molerov's major achievements in iconography are the following icons: St. Nicholas (1816) from St. Archangel Michael's church in the village of Leshko, Christ All-triumphant with Angels and Cherubim (1833), The Nativity and a Crucifixion from St Elijah the Prophet's church in the village of Usenovo. He has also worked in Belgrade on an invitation by Prince Milosh Obrenovich of Serbia. He died in 1870 in Bansko.

School: Bansko Iconographic School

Dimmensions (cm): 80 / 57 / 3.5

Location

Country: Bulgaria

Province: Blagoevgrad

Town: Bansko

Museum: Museum complex

Source

Country: Bulgaria

Province: Blagoevgrad

Village: Leshko

Church: St. Archangel Michael

Description

A traditional waist-high depiction of St. Nicholas, holding a book in one hand, blessing with the other.

Iconographical technique: Combined

Tempera mounts with semi-oil connector are used for the painting of the gleams. For the engraving of the halo, the two medaillons and the fragments on the clothes are used velatures and the "probaster" technique. The gilding is applied on a polyment, using sheet gold.

Base material: Wood

Softwood with two kyes inserted in grooves cut into the back of each panel wooden rivet. The ground coat is of plaster, laid in several layers and thickly.

State, restoration traces and comments

No prior restoration has been detected.