58. At the Mill [1920-1922]

Representative of the period when the painter sets his easel in front of country landscapes, the present work, similar in motif to "The Mills of Dârste" created around 1922, introduces us to the voyager universe of Camil Ressu. Whether he paints in Vlaici, in Olt County, or reaches Dârste, in Brasov, the artist dips his brushes in the colors of the villages he passes through and transposes them onto canvas. This time too he creates a harmoniously contoured fresco, with a sunny atmosphere specific to the rural area. We note, however, the absence of the human figure and interest in the construction of masses. The artist now uses a loose brushwork, which frantically combines cold tones with warm ones, firmly outlining the contours of the masses. Neutral tones dominate in the creation of the mill but are highlighted by the colorful vegetation around. Light and shadow surfaces are well defined; and the yellow and raw green of the trees and grass harmoniously complement with the serene blue of the sky. The motif was repeated over time, as mentioned, in works such as "Mill at Dârste", which was in the collection of Rita and professor Ion Chiricuță; and another work, also representing a mill from Dârste, is in the collection of the Cluj Art Museum. The present work ultimately becomes an elegy dedicated to the sunny nature and summer days.

Dimensions

width 62.5 cm, height 47.5 cm

Description

oil on cardboard, signed bottom left, in pencil, "C. Ressu"

Dating

1920-1922

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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