Can anyone tell me about this mural, dated 1878, on Pchelishte church?

3 comments
  1. It shows The Circle of Life – a relatively rare scene in Bulgarian churches. There are numbers on the wheel, representing the ages of the individual person. The text right of the top figure perhaps identifies it as a personification of Wealth. At the bottom of the wheel is the grave. Left and right of it are two figures, clad in blue: the first is entitled Spring, the second Autumn. Can’t read the other ones, sadly.

  2. It’s the circle of life. It’s been a recurring scene in Bulgarian revival church murals, the most famous rendition is the one at the [Preobrazhenski](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koleloto_na_zhivota.jpg) monastery by Zahari Zograf.

    The one here is a simpler one. You have the stages of a man’s life from birth to 100 in 10 year increments. Near the 100th year it says “grave” and there’s Death stabbing the now old man with his scythe.

    You also have the four seasons, or at least two of them, spring to the left and fall to the right.

    The top left figure is labeled “Pharisees”, a Jewish sect from biblical times which in Orthodox christianity represents self-righteousness and the rejection of Christ. Can’t quite make out the label on the right one but it’s something about the humble.

Leave a Reply