78. Pitcher with Marigolds [1910-1914]

During his studies at the School of Arts in Bucharest, between 1885 and 1889, Luchian learned more from the art of Nicolae Grigorescu, who was at the peak of his activity, than from the models offered by his teachers: Aman, Tăttărescu or Stăncescu. Luchian's nature resembled Grigorescu's temperament, the teachings of his true master paving their way naturally in his consciousness. From him he learned to base his observation directly on the aspects of reality, to know nature in its fundamental dimensions and to seek to merge with it, in order to evoke it with sincerity. Ștefan Luchian brought to the flower paintings, besides his inimitable style and color palette, the introduction and contact with folk art. Considering the primacy of Nicolae Grigorescu's creation that had somehow monopolized the rural, traditional subject, but from an idyllic side, Luchian's style was much closer to the spirit of folk art - ceramics was used as the main element. This characteristic was to become really important in the decade immediately following the Great Union, when the whole cultural and artistic movement was advocating that "national specificity". In Nicolae Tonitza (who was one of the biggest admirers of Luchian), Theodorescu-Sion, Ștefan Dimitrescu or Dumitru Ghiață we find, in a modern language, transfigurations of that "traditional" style skillfully used by Ștefan Luchian in the first decade of the 20th century. The clay vase thus became Luchian's author's signature, managing in just a few years to "confiscate" the static nature with flowers, leaving its mark on all the artistic creation of the 20th century. At Luchian, the flowers prepared and educated the artistic taste in this approach, with a view to understanding those works that convey through the incandescence of colors, the brilliance of chords and the beauty of relationships, an emotional climate. Spread on the map of all seasons, from spring flowers – snowdrops, violets, lilac, poppies, cornflowers, tulips, to the vernal ones - roses, marsh mallow, carnations, cloves, marigolds, snapdragons, parachutes, dahlias, to the autumn ones - chrysanthemums, cyclamen or daisies, the repertoire of the flowers enliven through color the artist's universe. Often evoked, either in vases or in clay pots, Luchian's flowers often bring in visual and signs of the traditional, appreciated by the artist through decorations and enamel shines. Thus, the tradition of Romanian painting will now be enriched with new values and perspectives. The simplicity and synthesis typical of the last years of creation brought with them Luchian's latest masterpieces, paradoxically also the most appreciated and bought. The flower paintings are the ones in which he unfolds most perfectly a true symphony on the scale of chromatic orchestration. After 1910, Luchian's work tends towards simplicity and synthesis, the characteristics of his paintings being the contour carefully underlined in black lacquer and the color applied in a thin and even layer within it, over which he returns with nervous accents meant to give contour. Specific to the last period of creation, the work "Vase with daisies", is made in dark tones and shaded browns. The dark background, of brick red with bordeaux accents, highlights the central piece, typical of Luchian, the traditional pot. The vessel is a Kuty type, from Bucovina or northern Moldova and contains a colorful bouquet of daisies, at the base it is surrounded by the same flowers, chromatically accentuated by the red strokes. Even though the chromatics is simple, without violent or pastel tones, the entire composition meets all the stylistic characteristics of the mature work of Ştefan Luchian.

References

CIOFLEC, Virgil, "Luchian", Ed. National Culture, Bucharest, 1924 COMARNESCU, Petru, "Luchian", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1955 COMARNESCU, Petru, "Luchian", Ed. Youth, Bucharest, 1965 ENESCU, Teodor, "Stefan Luchian: Painting. Pastel. Watercolor. Drawing", Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest, 2007 JIANU, Ionel, "Luchian", Ed. Art Home, Bucharest, 1947 LASSAIGNE, Jacques, "Stefan Luchian", Meridian Publishing House, Bucharest, 1972

Dimensions

width 50 cm, height 60 cm

Description

oil on cardboard, signed bottom left, in brown, "Luchian"

Dating

1910-1914

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