#Exhibit of the Month

We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life. The spirit of the Resurrection is beautifully complemented by ten Easter-themed postcards from the heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, printed a century ago. These pieces were added to the museum's postcard collection over a decade ago following a successful acquisition; as the fund for Easter-themed illustrations is modest, we are in a constant search for new additions.

These postcards are "extraordinary" in terms of their postal, typographical, and chromatic effects-the primary reason for revisiting this genre of greetings. Unlike "classic" postcards, these are smaller in size (6.5 cm x 11 cm), made of cardboard (with the exception of one piece made of photographic paper in black and white), and feature "vivid" colors. Printed in Romania and Germany, they bear the marks of having been sent and circulated through the post.

The name of the holiday originates from the verb persach, meaning "to pass," a term adopted by the Jews from the Egyptians. It entered the Romanian language through the Byzantine-Latin form Paschae, signifying the "passage through death to life, the victory of life, and liberation from the bondage of sin." Easter is a holiday of tolerance and forgiveness, representing a bridge between the present and the past. The significance of this celebration is conveyed through its symbols, which are also featured on these postcards: Hand-painted eggs, the Easter Bunny and the Lamb, traditional sweet breads (cozonac and pască), biblical scenes related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Easter table also features pască-a ritual food reminiscent of ancient, bloodless "reconciliation" sacrifices. Its preparation is the exclusive task of women, the givers of life, as the leavened dough is considered "alive."

The most significant component of the Easter holiday, however, is the Light. The Ceremony of the Holy Light is associated with the miracle of the light appearing on Easter Sunday at Christ's Tomb in Jerusalem. The candle, often depicted in these images, carries a powerful message; it is with the Resurrection candle that we return home after the midnight religious service. Furthermore, the Easter Bunny represents the rebirth of nature, so eagerly awaited after a harsh winter.

Unlike Christmas, when the announcement and ritual integration of the community into sacred time was the duty of caroling groups, at Easter, "one does not go from house to house." Instead, the ritual meal is organized within each family, symbolizing a direct communion with God.

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Exhibitions

"The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922"

A painting by Elena Bria, exhibited for the first time in the Republic of Moldova at NMHM

10 May – 31 August 2024

The National Museum of History of Moldova in partnership with the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova announces the premiere exhibition in Chisinau of the painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922", author Elena Bria. The opening will take place on May 10, at 16:00 in the Blue Hall.

The painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922" with dimensions 295x383 cm, executed in the oil on canvas technique, was painted in 2018 by the artist Elena Bria, as a graduation work at the "Ilya Repin" Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Since the defense of the license was set for the summer of 2018, the year of the Centenary of the Great Union, the artist decided to commemorate this complicated but also beautiful stage in the history of our country by creating a life-size artistic reconstruction of the symbolic day of the Great Union - Coronation Day. The work on the painting began in the 4th year of studies, but the compositional searches and the execution of hundreds of sketches began as early as 2015. Thus, only after 2 years did the artist decide on the final sketch. To start working on the canvas itself, the artist documented from all possible sources about the day of October 15, 1922 and sewed all the costumes of the characters involved in the composition, later to be painted from nature and to receive a result as close as possible to reality. In January 2018, Elena puts the first touches on the future painting. After 6 months of hard work, he reaches the finalization of the details and the painting itself. And, in July 2018, his presentation at the licensure exam takes place, after which the painting is decorated with the highest mention by the examination committee.

In 2022, the painting was exhibited in Bucharest, as part of the personal exhibition "New Academia" at the Kulterra gallery. From October 15, 2022, until the end of 2023, the painting was presented to the public in Alba Iulia, at the Unirii Museum in the Unirii Hall, the place where the Coronation took place. From May 10 to August 31, 2024, the painting will be integrated into the permanent exhibition, in the Blue Hall of the National History Museum of Moldova, after which it will be exhibited in two other exhibitions in Romania.

Elena Bria was born on July 4, 1992 in Chisinau, Moldova, in a family of biathletes. At the age of 11, he began his studies at the "Igor Vieru" Fine Arts High School in Chisinau, where he met the teacher and painter Stanislav Babiuc, who laid the foundations for his academic painting. Later, in 2012, Elena continued her studies at the "Ilya Repin" Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from which she graduated with honors in 2018. The artist's works were exhibited in several exhibitions in the United States of America, Russia, Romania and the Republic of Moldova. In 2019 he won the Philip de Laszlo prize at the international exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and in 2022 he won the first prize at the international exhibition at the Salmadundi Club, New York. He is currently a member of the prestigious art-club Salmagundi, New York. His paintings can be found in many private collections around the world. In the autumn of this year, as part of the "The Lunar Codex" project, the digital version of the "Three Muses" painting will be sent to the Moon, in a time capsule.

The painting "The Coronation of King Ferdinand and Queen Maria. 1922" can be visited between May 10 - August 31, 2024, in the Blue Hall of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.