130. Neuf Bridge [1980]

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130. Neuf Bridge [1980]

Corneliu Baba

1906, Craiova - 1997, Bucureşti

Estimate:

EUR 9.000 - 15.000

Sold

EUR 13.500

References

MUSCALU ALBANI, Maria, "Corneliu Baba", Romanian Cultural Institute Publishing, 2008 FLOREA, Vasile, "Romanian Modern and Contemporary Art", Meridiane Publishing, 1982 BABA, Corneliu, "Corneliu Baba", Romanian Cultural Foundation, 1997

oil on cardboard, 37.5 x 43 cm, signed bottom right, in black, "Baba, (19)80"

Among Baba's consecrated themes - of which the most prominent are the theme of peasants and the obsessions of horror or mad kings - the city landscape also fits in, which defined the later period of his creation. Being passionate about painting, he spent his childhood in his father's workshop. From then on, he will learn the steps within academic painting and the particularities of classical training, as well as how to balance and exploit the subject by working directly from the model. Starting with the '70s, on the occasion of his "few stops in Paris or Venice", as he himself explained, the artist creates plein air works, influenced by the "picturesque and illustrious corners of the city". Thus, among the most famous landscapes, excluding those made in the country, Venices and Parisian corners are some of the favorite themes made by the artist. Baba's landscapes and buildings address a dramatic note and treat the scenes from a unique perspective. They render a personal perspective on the city, where emotion and realistic observation intertwine in a plastic language of remarkable depth. The artist always chooses difficult corners, where the picturesque has the smallest importance, and the details are provided by the brushwork he creates. The buildings created by Baba have a well-defined architecture without monopolizing the scene, leaving room for the other elements to be observed. The choice of less revealing views is provoked precisely by the richness in motifs of the painted place and the details that he tries to convey to the viewers. The artist captures cityscapes as evidence of history, of time that mercilessly passes over matter. In his specific style, Baba revisits the same images several times, revealing unique valences each time. We see this procedure also in the present work, which is the successor to the work from 1979, "Bridge over the Seine." Here the image over the Neuf bridge, the water and the Parisian architecture in the background is captured. Thus, Baba invites the viewer to a profound rediscovery of the city. The spectrum of colors through which the artist organizes space and strokes includes shades of ochre and dark gray. Therefore, we recognize here another defining feature of the artist. Both in portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, his painting excels through a sober color palette, of a vigorous artistic expression, with dramatic contrasts and chiaroscuro effects. (L.M.)

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