64. Venice [anii '70]

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64. Venice [anii '70]

Corneliu Baba

1906, Craiova - 1997, Bucureşti

Estimate:

EUR 9.000 - 15.000

Not sold

References

Maria Muscalu Albani, "Corneliu Baba", Publisher of the Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest, 2008. Paul Șușară, "Corneliu Baba", Official Monitor Publisher, Bucharest, 2013.

oil on cardboard, 35.5 x 26 cm, signed lower right, in black, "Baba"

Research information

The work was part of the exhibition "Corneliu Baba. The Painter of Deep Realism", held at the National Art Museum of Chisinau in 2023, with the support of Art Safari.

Corneliu Baba is part of the group of painters who have unhesitatingly reclaimed the undeniable power of using black in art. Paired with an intense chromatic range, abundant in red, yellow, or green, he thus accentuates the whole work. His black is that of Manet or Velasquez, and by juxtaposing dark shades and his preference for sunset moments streaked with gray clouds, he amplifies the nocturnal aspect of his compositions. However, the coloristic effects do not betray a supposed state of emotional unrest or ataraxia, but reside, in all respects, only in the reality of the creative moment. For Corneliu Baba, the notion of realism takes on a much broader meaning and enjoys the artist's ability to use his imagination and the reserves of the psychic fund. The present work is included in the cycle of landscapes of urban, colorful Venetians, enjoying the hustle and bustle of human typologies. The artist stated that “Venice demands a special understanding of its specific landscape. You need a great living of its pictorial beauty, just like the experience of the serious beauty of a portrait in which the resources of the palette are required to collaborate magnificently.” Therefore, he will repeat the motif countless times in his creations dedicated to the landscape. The colored buildings in shades of bright red, yellow, or green will continually follow in a myriad of snapshots that the artist dedicates to the Italian canals. The landscape comes into his interest from the beginning, through works such as "Promenade", "Gara din Caransebeș" or "Pe malul Teiușului", dating from the 20s - 30s. We can follow, therefore, both the artist's pilgrimages to foreign lands, and his stops in the cities or villages of Romania. Venetian landscapes register in the record of architectural profiles where the terrestrial and aerial plan present rather briefly. Corneliu Baba sets his landmark on the architectural space and then focuses his attention on prominent shapes and volumes, highlighted mainly in shades of gray or red. His canvases become, upon closer inspection, true portraits of Venice. The present work is a recurring theme, the first work of this kind dating from 1956. In his diaries, the artist frequently affirms that he intends to revisit various pictorial motifs to add or emphasize certain elements. In this case, Baba adopts a dark palette and underlines, with his specific mastery, the grandeur of the architectural element and the boundless force of nature.

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