146. Inn in Brittany

His travels in the French area had, throughout his career, various relevant motivations for Nicolae Grigorescu’s biography. Whereas his first itineraries focused around Paris and Barbizon - trips that were relevant for his period of studies and of impressionistic accumulations - his next stays (up to 1890) present both the attraction to the specific landscape (Brittany, Provence), and Grigorescu’s thoughts of permanently settling in France. Considering the recurrence of certain areas in the French territory, and we make note of Vitré in particular, which Grigorescu visited for several years in a row, it is easy to appreciate its figurative meaning in the context of his landscapes. Starting in 1876, when Vitré first appeared in Grigorescu’s images, the artist travelled from one Breton city to another following a genuine route – Mont Saint Michel, Brolle, Marlotte, Dinan or Granville - for almost 15 years, and 1890 was the year when Grigorescu settled at Câmpina. Undoubtedly joining the series of the most renowned views in France, namely that of the Vitré vedutas, "Inn in Brittany" highlights specific elements of the landscaping practiced by Grigorescu in the age of his deepest stylistic explorations. Typical for the period 1880-1885, his work is aesthetically revealed particularly in the manner typical for the period. The brush strokes abounding in colour, affectively treated in strong tones (fresh green, navy blue), the placement of the subject on the page and their preponderance in relation to the landscape, as well as painting a motif so specific to the area, are only a few of the compositional elements which place the work in the above-mentioned period. The focal point, represented by the inn building, is first of all a source of space organization, consequently its occurrence defines the coherent nature of the construction of the image. However, the visual quality is provided by Grigorescu’s mastery, as he manages to transform an motionless structure, without any extraordinary features (in relation to Grigorescu’s imagery) into a genuine impressionistic representation. The inn is painted affectionately, creating more space around it, and, by placing it in the very centre of the image, it becomes an optical point of interest. The building offers Grigorescu the occasion to conduct exceptional colour experiments, the alternance of earthy tones, of which the ochres remind us, being a genuine example of mastery of outdoor painting . The homogeneity of the composition is attained using typical painting procedure, whereby Grigorescu systematizes the other surfaces in agreement with the central motif. The human silhouette, more or less recognizable in terms of typology, is intended to mark the passage of time, imprinting dynamism to the entire painting. The character does not have such a significant visual appearance - being painted with a few strokes of the brush, as the subject is precisely the building that acquires certain monumental meanings - through its lonely presence in relation to the landscape.

References

OPRESCU, George, “Grigorescu”, Ed. Meridiane, București, 1962. ZAMBACCIAN, K.H., “Grigorescu”, Editura Cartea Românească, București, 1971. MOVILEANU, George Sorin, “Nicolae Grigorescu”, Ed. Meridiane, București, 1986. CIUCĂ, Valentin, “Pe urmele lui Nicolae Grigorescu”, Editura Sport-Turism, București, 1987.

Dimensions

width 37 cm, height 25 cm, custom 25 × 37 cm

Description

oil on wood, signed bottom left, with red, "Grigorescu"

Research information

The artwork is reproduced in "Grigorescu", Alexandru Cebuc, Monitorul Oficial Publishing House, 2007, at p. 130, under the title "Casă în Bretania" ("House in Brittany"). The artwork is reproduced in "Grigorescu", Alexandru Cebuc, Monitorul Oficial Publishing House R.A., 2008, at p. 129, under the title "Casă în Bretania" ("House in Brittany").

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