23. Dance [1913-1915]

Having studied in Munich and Paris, in the traditions of the time, Arthur Verona becomes familiar with Western art, the Renaissance, and also with classical painting. Although he declared himself an avid admirer of plein-air painting that Nicolae Grigorescu realized, the artist will possess a special inclination for studio painting, from here also come his numerous still lifes. Verona has asserted himself in the era as a very good portraitist, as the criticism of the time noted. His work will evolve, consequently, from the busts dedicated to Princess Maria to murals or frescoes in locations such as the palace of the collector Ioan Kalinderu, Gheorghe Cantacuzino's palace, the Chapel of Bran Castle, or the ceiling of the Voevodes' Stairway in the Royal Palace. In this work we discover an artistic universe that has already become a leitmotif in the artist's work, with an impressive creative force. The famous rural scenes or energetic dances have unfolded over many canvases from Verona's record. The vitality of the scene is revealed both through the brushwork and chromatic options, and through the elaboration of a complex set of characters. We will often find groups of singers, with violins, lutes or wind instruments; people engaged in the dance of the hora, with their arms raised and their bodies caught in motion; and most often the artist will capture, somewhere in the foreground, an overflowing female figure, with a wide smile, illustrated in folk costumes and colored headscarves. The gatherings that have become a tradition in the economy of the Romanian village always take place under the seal of a natural environment. Surrounded by nature, dancing on the green grass, or resting their bodies in the shade of the trees, the peasant figures from Verona's work become exponential in illustrating the famous Sunday dances.

References

ZURESCU, Ion, "Verona", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1957.

Dimensions

width 60.5 cm, height 39.5 cm

Description

oil on canvas, signed lower right, in gray, "Verona"

Dating

1913-1915

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