The photos of the lot are informative and indicative, and cannot provide a highly detailed view of the object from all angles. We recommend a careful physical inspection of the lot before bidding.
DEAC, Mircea, "Critical and Documentary Lexicon, Painters, Sculptors and Draftsmen from Romania of the XV-XX centuries", Medro Publishing House, Bucharest, 2008.
STRÂMBU, Ipolit, "Drawing and Painting from Nature", Mârvan Workshops, Bucharest.
oil on cardboard, 70.5 x 90 cm
Ipolit Strâmbu, a representative artist for the Baia Mare School and for the Artistic Youth, demonstrates throughout his work a profound commitment to color and expression. Influenced by Nicolae Grigorescu's art, Strâmbu skillfully finds his inspiration in the everyday, being constantly of light, shadow and their compositional effects.
The work illustrates two characters caught in a moment of intimacy, in the midst of a discussion, enveloped in a slightly mysterious atmosphere. To convey the mystery, the artist uses the chiaroscuro technique, strong value contrasts providing a theatrical effect. The woman on the left, sitting with her back to the viewer, appears absorbed in a conversation in which she participates. The painter's romantic vision is noticed, which is also mentioned in one of his painting and drawing manuals: "...imitation or copying is not everything, fantasy and imagination have their place in art, and especially feeling and understanding of nature supported by the spirit of observation, visual memory, emotional power and skill..."
The two characters are rendered in vivid, distinct tones, highlighted by contrast against the blurred background, constructed of dark tones. They are not static figures, but appear in an expressive posture, full of naturalness, like caught in a spontaneous moment, like a photographic snapshot.
A similar work by subject and atmosphere is found in the catalog of the exhibition from November 1925 from his workshop. It is about the work "With scissors and fabric", which reproduces the same everyday intimacy, the same silent absorption of the characters in a common activity. The ambiance is suggested through a warm interior light, which highlights the human silhouettes placed on a dark background. The series of reproductions from the exhibition catalog demonstrate a subtle change in direction of Strâmbu's thematic approach. While previously he was mostly concerned with depicting rural life characters, a shift towards more intimate themes from the everyday or domestic universe is hinted at here. However, this refocusing does not imply a total break from previous stages, but rather a deepening of his technique and his vision, a profound approach towards his characters and their inner universe.
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