Kada sam stajala ispred impozantne Katedrale Svetog Gerharda u Vršcu, osećala sam težinu vekova odmorište u zvoniku visokih 64 metra. Taj monumentalni neogotički dragulj, projektovao je Franz Xaver Brand, a sagrđen je između 1860. i 1863. godine. Njegove vitraže, pinakli i detalji stale su mi pred očima dok sam razmišljala: „Moram ovo pretočiti u akvarel.“
When I stood in front of the imposing St. Gerhard's Cathedral in Vršac, I felt the weight of centuries resting in the 64-meter-high belfry. This monumental neo-Gothic gem was designed by Franz Xaver Brand, and was built between 1860 and 1863. Its stained glass windows, pinnacles, and details stood before my eyes as I thought, "I have to turn this into watercolor."
Za mene, arhitektura je kao prazno platno svakodnevnice – nosi sećanja, priča o ljudima i vremenu, a u isto vreme poziva na novi susret svetlosti i boje. Inspirisala me je igra svetla kroz vitraže na važnim mestima oltara, ali i šarenilo starih cigli koje nalikuju na akvarelne mrlje. Priprema papira i mrlja boje bila je poput rituala: prvo sam na grubo skicirala obrise tornja i pročelja, a zatim dopustila da voda i pigmenat sami oblikuju atmosferu.
For me, architecture is like a blank canvas of everyday life - it carries memories, stories about people and time, and at the same time invites a new meeting of light and color. I was inspired by the play of light through the stained-glass windows in the important places of the altar, but also by the colorfulness of the old bricks that resemble watercolor stains. Preparing the paper and paint spots was like a ritual: first I roughly sketched the outline of the tower and the facade, then let the water and pigment shape the atmosphere on their own.
Tonovi neba i kamena: osvježavajuće pranje plave i sive boje stvaralo je maglu koja obavija vrh tornja.
Tones of sky and stone: a refreshing wash of blue and gray created a mist that enveloped the top of the tower.
Naglasila sam tople tonove cigle, uvodeći crvenkasto-smeđe nijanse, te naglasila zlatne reflekse sunca.
Dok je poslednja kap boje sušila živost na papiru, shvatila sam da je moja vizija – spoj istorije i ličnog doživljaja – odjek katedrale u meni.
I emphasized the warm tones of the brick, introducing reddish-brown shades, and emphasized the golden reflections of the sun.
As the last drop of paint dried vividly on the paper, I realized that my vision - a combination of history and personal experience - was an echo of the cathedral in me
Ta struktura nije samo arhitektura, ona je čovekov poduhvat vere, umetnosti i zajedništva. Slikajući je, imala sam osećaj da razgovaram s piscima iz prošlog veka.
That structure is not just architecture, it is a human endeavor of faith, art and community. While painting her, I had the feeling that I was talking to writers from the last century.
Nadam se da ćete, gledajući moj akvarel, osetiti isto divljenje koje sam ja osetila na mestu ispred ove lepotice sa dve kule.
Ako ste ikada u Vršcu, popijte kafu u hladu katedrale i dozvolite da vas upije tišina i ogromna lepotа ovog zdanja.
I hope that when you look at my watercolor, you will feel the same admiration that I felt at the place in front of this beauty with two towers.
If you are ever in Vršac, drink a coffee in the shade of the cathedral and let the silence and immense beauty of this building absorb you.
Pozdrav od Anke vragolanke.
Greetings from Anka vregolana!