nd fifteenth centuries is
recognized as some of the finest and most unusual of the later period of
Byzantine art. It differs somewhat in style from other examples of
Byzantine art of that period by reflecting the influence of folk art.
Some of the finest examples are found at the Moldavian monasteries of
Putna, Sucevita, and Voronet. They are unusual in that they were painted
on the outside walls in order to educate the peasants in church history
and in elements of their faith. The quality and imaginativeness of these
frescoes has been termed one of the great contributions to European
religious art. Their freshness after more than 400 years of exposure to
the elements is remarkable.

In addition to paintings, religious art of the medieval period also
included various objects, such as vestments, furniture, and vessels
worked in wood, gold, or silver and richly decorated. Collections of
these objects are preserved at the monasteries, the largest exhibits
being at Sucevita and Putna.

During the seventeenth century a change in style took place in painting
and other decorative arts, although the subject matter remained
religious. Russian artists who had come to Moldavia and Walachia
introduced the small, detailed painting of Russian iconography, which
became evident in the murals and other painting of Romanian artists. At
the same time, the simple, folk art decorative forms were replaced by a
more elaborate style showing both Baroque and Oriental influences. A
distinct Walachian style developed, and schools emerged in Bucharest and
other cities. The most notable achievements of the Walachian school are
the interior frescoes of the Hurez Monastery.

A secular trend was introduced into art in the eighteenth century with a
greater involvement of merchants, craftsmen, and landowners as patrons.
Not until the nineteenth century, however, did a completely secular art
come into being, mostly through foreign influences. The earliest secular
artists reflect in their styles the training they had received as
religious artists.

In the early nineteenth century several foreign painters lived and
worked in Romania and exerted a strong influence on young Romanian
artists who, in turn, helped to train other artists of the nineteenth
century. The spirit of nationalism and revolution that was sweeping
Europe during that century involved Romanian artists as it did those in
other countries under foreign rule. Art was a medium for expressin