70. Fears [1977]

One of the most recognizable cycles that became established in the collective image over the past 40 years was conceived by Corneliu Baba, following one of the most traumatising events that shook Romania. During the first months following the March 1977 earthquake, the artist started sketching the deeply human universe which was bound to haunt him until the end of his career and his life. Spreading across almost 15 years, the "Fears" cycle unfolded and revealed itself as a plurality of psychological introspections, easily exceeding its primordial, plastic nature. Included in the category of the deeply expressionist compositions, together with "The Mad Kings", Baba's Fears introduce us to a personal universe, coordinated both by the artist's psyche, and by his respect towards Goya's creation. In fact, Baba did not hesitate to actually name one of his "Fears" studies "Tribute to Francisco Goya", as a proof of the rather strong influence which the Spanish Maestro had over him. Under the expressionist umbrella, Baba managed to create a multitude of faces which can almost be identified, but which are always fraught with the burden of destructive feelings. The only recognizable face appearing every once in a while on the canvases completing the cycle is the portrait of the artist himself, meant to reconfirm the feeling of fear felt by the creator. However, we often seem to get a glimpse of his wife’s face and stature - she was the being that was closest to Baba’s heart. In a monumental achievement, the multitude of characters offer us a profound description of the human realm of imagination typical for Corneliu Baba, a realm which was permanently broken by the March 1977 events. (I.P.)

References

"Corneliu Baba", edited by Maria Muscalu Albani, Romanian Cultural Foundation, Bucharest, 1997 "Corneliu Baba", Romanian Cultural Institute Publishing House, 2008.

Dimensions

width 37.5 cm, height 55 cm

Description

oil on canvas pasted on cardboard, signed and dated bottom right, in black, "Baba, (19)77"

Dating

1977

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