Artist: Mirela Traian
Style: Wood painting executed in tempera and pigment
Year:2011
Place: Timisoara, Romania
This painting, executed in tempera and pigment on a wooden support, depicts two men from the group of men with turbans, a detail from the fresco "St. Francis Before the Sultan," created by Giotto Di Bondone. Giotto Di Bondone was an Italian master painter and architect from the Renaissance period, known for his significant contributions to the art of painting.
The fresco "Trial by Fire" is part of the complex work created by Giotto di Bondone in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. "St. Francis Before the Sultan" presents the moment when St. Francis of Assisi, an important figure in Christian tradition, travelled to the East to meet Sultan Al-Malik al-Kamil of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.
It includes a group of men on the left side, in the presence of the Sultan and St. Francis. These turbaned men likely represent the attendants or advisers of Sultan Al-Malik al-Kamil. The appearance of the turbaned men in the surrounding group may provide details about the cultural and religious diversity of the moment.
The preparatory steps involved preparing the wooden support, on which a layer of primer was applied. Natural pigments and tempera, mixed with an egg-based binder, were used—providing brightness and durability to the painting. Clear outlines and precise lines were created with fine brushes to highlight details and convey expressiveness in the faces of the characters.
Finally, a layer of varnish was applied for the protection and enhancement of the colours.
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