51. Reliquary with relics [2020]

A complete artist, Ion Grigorescu has always shown a major interest in people, which has led him to concern himself with his close world, his art becoming a tool of reflection on life and the historical context, trying to overcome the limits of the generation from which he comes. Ion Grigorescu oscillates from one reality to another, investigating human nature and personal obsessions. His sources of inspiration are taken from the nearby universe, often of socio-political origin or from the sphere of private life. The artist remains lucid and attentive to what is happening in society, without betraying his personal originality. Thus, disturbed by the outside world and also infected by the obsession of his own body, through recognizable sexuality, Ion Grigorescu combines the world of the body with the experience of religious morality. "I paint as I see: taking objects into the eyes, following them is done in the midst of life, not separately," the artist declared about his creative process. Thus, we can observe his affinity for hyperrealism, a silent orientation from the Romanian plastic arts universe. At the same time, Ion Grigorescu has given increased interest to religious themes, affirming his position through ascetic nature. The artist combines the spiritual experiment with social involvement. In this work "Racla cu moaște", we can observe the artist's predilection for the immaterial world of faith. The word racla, etymologically, comes from the Bulgarian language, РАКЛА, and represents a box, often artistically ornamented, in which the earthly remains of the saints are preserved. Therefore, in the Orthodox Christian tradition, the meaning of this racla cu moaște is profound, because it constitutes an object of adoration, a witness to the presence of divine grace. Orthodoxy, as a whole, has a wide relationship with the sacred and the symbols of divinity, a fact that Ion Grigorescu captures in this work, through the act made by the two central characters. A silent scene that embodies sacredness and the relationship of man with divinity through an elect who carries grace.

References

MoMA. "Ion Grigorescu." The Museum of Modern Art. https://www.moma.org/artists/39193-ion-grigore

Dimensions

width 70 cm, height 100 cm

Description

oil on canvas, signed and dated bottom center, in gray, "Ion Grigorescu, 2020"; titled bottom left, in green, "Reliquary"

Research information

The artwork was part of the exhibition: "Prolog - Over the years", Romanian Gallery, Bucharest, 2021.

Dating

2020

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