About the Altar

My altar dedicated to Archangel Michael contains 8 parts: 7 paintings, and the Eye which envelops the 7 images – the all-seeing Eye of God.

Each individual painting has its own separate meaning, as does the painting of Christ Ascending in the centre; but within the context of the whole, the paintings take on additional, special meanings. In particular, if one looks at the Altar from within the Altar itself, in the inner part where the iris of the Eye is, one can see 5 members of the human being: the physical body below, as a basis (the painting “Allegory of Autumn”); then the mind, represented by the Angel in yellow; and the heart, represented by the Angel in pink; above, the human spirit reflected in the earthly ego (the painting “Blessing”); and in the centre (the painting “The Ascension”) the Divine in Man and, at the same time, the Spirit-Self. Thus, within the iris of God's Eye one can see a whole Man represented pictorially.

On the two sides of the iris, there are two paintings representing the Archangel Michael: “Behold He Comes” and “Michaelmas”.

“Behold He comes” shows the Descending Michael, who is the Countenance of Christ carrying a sword of light that resonates into three Faces – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – slaying the dragon, according to the traditional story. In the context of the altar, as Michael descends He turns towards the dragon-snake, the Great Tempter. Four of the Angels descending with Archangel Michael have trumpets in their hands, out of which proceed the words “Domine - Deus - Agnus - Dei” in Latin, and from each of these four words, three virtues written in Bulgarian (with the Cyrillic alphabet), which Man must develop on earth. The purifying process of the heart is a process of purifying one’s feelings.

On the opposite side of the altar, “Michaelmas” shows the Ascending Michael, who in this context is connected with the mind. The mind (Angel in yellow) is elevated and enlightened, uplifting humanity by receiving the wisdom of the Word and bringing Man closer to the heavens and to God. Michaelmas is the celebration of Archangel Michael during autumn and the end of summer; it is a time when the spirit conquers matter. In the human being it is represented by the process of aging. When a person is old, when one is in the autumn of life, the body ages and slowly crumbles down. But here Michael is shown as a young man crowned with white flowers, without a beard, representing the pure impulses of youth, of noble aspiration, of Man growing younger...

Wisdom, virtue, purity, youth – the Altar of Archangel Michael was not made by me on purpose this way (and I know I have not exhausted its meanings here), but it has certainly transcended me as an artist, and its message is purposeful and universal, for everyone wishing to acquire what the Altar speaks of and represents.

The 7 paintings were created to the music of 5 different composers: “Behold, He Comes” (2017) was created using Joseph Haydn’s monumental Missa in Angustiis (Mass for troubled times, or Nelson Mass) and Schöpfungsmesse (Creation Mass); “Reason and Mercy” (2018) were created using Haydn’s Symphony No. 103 and Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (Little Organ Mass) for the left panel, and Sinfonia Concertante and Missa Sancti Nicolai (St. Nicolai Mass) for the right panel; “Michaelmas” (2017) was created using religious vocal works by the little-known composer Maxym Berezovsky; “Allegory of Autumn” was created using various lieder by Max Reger; “Blessing” was created using Anton Arensky’s two piano trios; and “The Ascension” (2019) was created using Olivier Messiaen's orchestral work of the same name, in addition to several of Messiaen's organ works.