Michael the Brave

The portrait, created by the Brașov artist Mișu Popp, a prominent figure of academism and a participant in the Revolution of 1848, is a visual homage to the ruler Michael the Brave. Mișu Popp, renowned for his painted pantheon of Romanian historical figures, was inspired by an engraving made by Aegidius Sadeler in 1601, during Michael’s time at the court of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. The engraving, rediscovered by historian Nicolae Bălcescu, gained significant popularity during the national awakening between 1848 and 1878.

Michael the Brave’s costume, as envisioned by the painter, combines elements of elegance and symbolism. His tunic is covered by a cuirass adorned with the united coat of arms of the three Romanian Principalities, over which he wears an impressive mantle with a fur collar, featuring two sides: one golden and the other red. The ruler is depicted in a right semiprofile, with an expression conveying authority and introspection: his furrowed eyebrows, piercing eyes gazing resolutely to the right, and his face framed by a black mustache and beard.

On his head, he wears the well-known princely cap, slightly flared to the left—a symbolic element of princely authority. His right hand rests on his waist, holding the edge of the mantle, while his left hand rests on the gilded hilt of his sword, fastened to his belt in a richly decorated golden scabbard. The ruler’s attitude, blending realism with romantic idealization, exudes a sense of theatrical grandeur, capturing the essence of a national hero.