106. Countryside Road (in Brebu) [1908]

The vocation of the future painter manifested as early as his childhood, when he refused the military career that his father (a major) Dumitru Luchian had prepared for him. At the right time (1885) Luchian was admitted into the School of Fine Arts of Bucharest, in the painting department, where he studied with professors such as Theodor Aman and Gheorghe Tăttărescu. After completing his Bucharest studies, in 1889, and receiving the bronze medal for his works "Expressive Head" and "Study of Nature", the young artist left for Munich with a scholarship, where he studied for two semesters at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he made copies of works by Rembrandt and Correggio. The rigid German Academicist environment did not satisfy him, so in 1891 he moved to Paris, where he studied at the Julian Academy with professor W. Bouguereau, while repeating the experience of study in museums or at temporary exhibitions in the French capital, in full Impressionist ebullience at the time. From Paris he sent several works with which he took part in the exhibitions of the "Artistic Circle" and the "Exhibitions of Living Artists". His works show certain influences of the art of Manet and Degas, the painting "The Last Autumn Race" being one of the conclusive examples. To the technique of oil painting Luchian adds the finesse of pastels, which he used for many landscapes and still lifes. The fluidity of outlines, the velvety delicacy of nature were best evoked in pastels. The motif of trees standing on the slightly sloped surface of hills was often approached by the artist, attracted by its decorative values. Reinterpreted several times in the undulating landscape of Brebu, the motif of trees emanates a certain simplicity, particularly visible in the use of means. In one of his letters to the collector, art critic and friend Victor Cioflec, the artist said: "A modest subject, depicted with so much simplicity that you wonder how those few shades can pour forth so much charm. Perhaps because it's quiet, shade, peace." (see Theodor Enescu, “Ştefan Luchian: Pictură. Pastel. Acuarelă. Desen”, Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest, 2007, p. 407)

References

CIOFLEC, Virgil, "Luchian", Ed. Cultura Naţională", Bucureşti, 1924
COMARNESCU, Petru, "Luchian", Ed. Tineretului, Bucureşti, 1965
DRĂGUŢ, Vasile, "Luchian", Ed. Meridiane, Bucureşti, 1968
ENESCU, Theodor, "Scrieri despre artă. Ştefan Luchian şi spiritul modern în pictura românească", Ed. Meridiane, Bucureşti, 2000
ENESCU, Theodor, "Ştefan Luchian: Pictură. Pastel. Acuarelă. Desen", Institutul Cultural Român, Bucureşti, 2007

Dimensions

width 47 cm, height 35 cm, custom 47x35

Description

pastel on paper, signed lower left "Luchian", in black

Dating

1908

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