GRAVURILE STRASTNICULUI DE LA BUDA DIN 1816
THE WOODCUTS OF THE STRASTNIC OF BUDA FROM 1816

Summary/Abstract: The Woodcuts of the Strastnic of Buda from 1816. Between 1780 and 1830 the activity of the Romanian section of the University Typography at Buda was very fruitful, as there had appeared about 240 books, many of them illustrated with woodcuts, puncheon prints and lithographs. Among these books, the Strastnic of 1816, bound sometimes together with Triod, holds a special position, both of them being carefully executed as regards the graphic art. Strastnic is a church book which comprises the divine services during the Passion Week, the week before Easter, from the raising of Lazarus to Christ’s Resurrection. Therefore the 10 main engravings (containing narrative scenes) are related to the text. Beside these it also includes 9 varied frontispieces and vignettes. They are all cut in wood and no one is signed. The woodcuts rendering narrative scenes (except one) have their sources of inspiration in similar illustrations of old Romanian books such as Triod printed at Râmnic in 1731 and 1761, for several times the latter being inspired by the Triod of Buzău from 1700, which in their turn, followed the models of the Ukrainian versions found in the books at Kiev and Lvov from the 17th century. Ichnographically and stylistically the engravings of Buda belong to Byzantine-Balkan and Byzantine-Russian tradition, being carefully executed and printed. In conclusion, I consider the Strastnic from 1816 to be one of the most beautiful books printed at Buda.

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