The Painter's Father

Ioan Popp Moldovan from Galați (1774-1869), the father of the painter Mișu Popp, came from a family of peasants from the Făgăraș region and was a church painter. It is speculated that he may have been part of the groups of moșneni (landed peasants) granted land by the voivodes of Wallachia. His family was well-respected in the Galații Făgărașului, a district of the town of Făgăraș. Ioan Popp painted icons, iconostases, and the interiors of Orthodox and Catholic churches in Brașov, the Olt Valley, the Ciuc region, and other areas of Transylvania, continuing the tradition of the Nicula school of painters. His style combined elements of Western Baroque art with Eastern Christian iconographic tradition. The painting craft was a family tradition, with all members involved in the trade. Ioan Popp's children learned to paint, and their mother acted as the apprentice who copied the models. Mișu Popp and his brother Nicolae continued the tradition, painting churches and pulpits.