13. The Kiss (Jesus and Mary Magdalene)

In 1922, Oscar Han made a first version of the work (which was exhibited over time under the title "Embrace"). This version was, however, carved in marble. At the Official Salon in 1924, the artist enrolled, among other things, the sculpture "Jesus and Magdalena". The "monumental and completely isolated" spirit of this composition was noticed by Walter Cisek who dares to go further and compare the statue group of the Romanian artist with Antoine Bourdelle's "Madonna". Following the same exhibition in 1924, Dem. M. Popescu appreciates that "the refined and subtle symbolism drawn from the attitude of the characters is supported by the constructive scaffolding of the complete lines from a strong sense of form and subject." In 1925, the sculpture was part of the artist's solo exhibition at the Home of Art. As a result of this exhibition, Tudor Vianu exalts: "The incarnation cannot, however, be conceived as an alteration of the eternity of the Savior and the static- eternal schema of the one who comes down among us being born of a woman as well as the woman he divinizes, bringing her to his chest, could not appear without fight and suffering." Mary Magdalene is depicted with her forehead leaning on the Savior's chest, embodying the image of the humble woman. The cordial embrace, concluded by the kiss on the crown, contributes to shaping an atmosphere where calm and simplicity prevail. But this is not the only work of its kind, where the artist focuses his attention on physical closeness, but the procedure of such a representation undoubtedly acquires a leitmotif status in the artist's work. Oscar Han now excels in rendering emotion, a fact revealed by renouncing excessive chiseling of anatomical details and by enhancing the depth of the gesture. Both the kiss and the embrace symbolize pure love, extrapolated from its denotative meaning and encoded in immaculate semantics. Contrary to the famous plea "noli me tangere", addressed by Jesus to Mary Magdalene at the time of resurrection, a plea that Oscar Han dares to violate; the strong connection between two diametrically opposed moral poles is now emphasized. Physical boundaries are exceeded here, but the emotion inserted in the layers of material reveals an intense emotional connection. Felix Aderca noted that: "Magdalena's hands that left room for Jesus's embrace, stretched out, make the whole group seen from the front: a cross. The sculptor admits that he wanted to make a Christian cross from Jesus and Magdalena, the two poles of Christian morality." We note the artist's distance from anatomical correctness in rendering the Savior's neck - and we distinguish an intentionally elongated neck, which allows him to rest his chin on Magdalena's crown. Each wave of the material incorporates a cordial, deep, solemn gesture. A version of the work (in marble) was ordered from the sculptor in 1946 by the then Governor of the National Bank (the artist's friend, Tiberiu Moșoiu) and is now in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest.

Dimensions

depth 25 cm, width 34 cm, height 85 cm

Description

bronze, Signed and dated at the base, "O. Han, 1924"; mentioned on the right side, "Romanian Art Association Colentina Avenue 99 Bucharest. 1925"

Research information

An initial version of the work was created in 1922 (exhibited over time also under the title "Embrace"). A version of the work (in marble) was commissioned to the sculptor in 1946 by the governor of the National Bank at the time (the artist's friend, Tiberiu Moșoiu) and is found today in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest.

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