70. Keys to Marseille [1930]

During the initial period of Ion Theodorescu-Sion, urban-inspired painting predominates, gradually being surpassed by the artist's concern for finding the national specificity, which increasingly brings him closer to the world of the Romanian village. Sion was active in Bucharest salons and in artistic groups of the time, contributing through exhibitions and texts to the definition of a modern, sober and decorative Romanian style. Beyond the formulas of the times, he remains current through the clarity of the composition, the rigor of the drawing and the freshness of the color. In the 1930s, the painter will abandon works with a Romanian specificity and return to the pictorial genres in which he excels: nudes, portraits or static natures. The theme of marines is especially outlined in Balchik, which the artist has known since 1913, at the same time with Iser and Satmari, and where he returned later, on several occasions, to capture the beautiful landscapes of Balchik. He was an admirer of the Mediterranean Sea, which attracted him since the period of study trips in the West, painting in the port of Marseille or in Palermo. In 1907, he crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Africa, where all these helped him even more in the way of shaping and realizing his works. The present work is dated 1920 and captures a port in Marseille with fishing boats anchored at the pontoon alongside a few buildings that are represented in the background. Through this work, Sion once again demonstrates his sensitivity to the urban landscape and the ability to capture the atmosphere of a place through plastic, but well made means. The port of Marseille becomes not only a visual subject, but also a pretext for exploring the relationship between form and color, in a composition where the limited shades of gray, red, and yellow create a sober, but expressive balance. The work stands out through harmony and simplicity, reflecting his artistic maturity and his interest in realizing these subjects. (S.S)

References

PAVEL, Amelia, "Ion Theodorescu-Sion", Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1967. SCHOBEL, Doina, CLONARU, Hariton, "Ion Theodorescu-Sion, exhibition catalogue, Art Museum of the R.S.R., Bucharest, 1971.

Dimensions

width 50 cm, height 66 cm

Description

oil on cardboard, signed and dated bottom left, with black, "Theodosion, (1)930"

Research information

The artwork participated in the exhibition "Ion Theodorescu-Sion. A Life of Story", Art Safari, Bucharest, 2023 and is reproduced in the exhibition catalog.

Dating

1930

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