Book Description

Winner of the 2023 Early Slavic Studies Book Prize from the Early Slavic Studies Association (ESSA) (Best book) Medieval Moldavia – which was located within present-day northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova – developed a bold and eclectic visual culture beginning in the 15th century. Within this networked Carpathian Mountain region, art and architecture reflect the creativity and diversity of the cultural landscapes of Eastern Europe. Moldavian objects and monuments – ranging from fortified monasteries and churches enveloped in fresco cycles to silk embroideries, delicately carved woodwork and metalwork, as well as manuscripts gifted to Mount Athos and other Christian centers – negotiate the complex issues of patronage and community in the region. The works attest to processes of cultural contact and translation, revealing how Western medieval, Byzantine, and Slavic traditions were mediated in Moldavian contexts in the post-Byzantine period. Winner of the 2023 Early Slavic Studies Book Prize, awarded by the Early Slavic Studies Association (ESSA) for the best book published between Sept 1, 2021 and August 31, 2023 in the field of Early Slavic Studies (pre-1800). The awarding committee praised the volume as ‘the first English monograph to provide a comprehensive overview of Moldavia's artistic and architectural landscape during the 15th and 16th centuries, locating the region as a significant facet in the global map of art history.’ Official ESSA announcement.