12. Still Life with Peonies and Folk Pottery [1920-1926]

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12. Still Life with Peonies and Folk Pottery [1920-1926]

Ion Theodorescu-Sion

1882, Ianca, Brăila - 1939, Bucureşti

Estimate:

EUR 5.000 - 8.000

Sold

EUR 8.000

References

PAVEL, Amelia, "Ion Theodorescu-Sion", Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1967. SCHOBEL, Doina, CLONARU, Hariton, "Ion Theodorescu-Sion", exhibition catalog, Museum of Art of the S.R.R., Bucharest, 1971.

oil on cardboard, 45.5 x 54.5 cm, signed bottom left, in black, "TheoSion"

Research information

The work participated in the exhibition "Ion Theodorescu-Sion. A life of story", Art Safari, Bucharest 10 February - 14 May 2023 and is reproduced in the exhibition catalog on page 100.

Ion Theodorescu-Sion developed during the interwar period a broad series of still lifes, where the emphasis is on the relationship between form, color and symbol. The work belongs to a stage of artistic maturity, the 1920s in which the painter combines post-impressionist and constructivist influences with an interest in the specifics of traditional Romanian art. Sion explores the theme of still life not just as an exercise in representing objects, but as a way of organizing space and plastic emotion. The peony symbolizes wealth, prosperity and regality, and through its delicacy and elegance, it introduces a poetic and intimate dimension, becoming a pretext for studying color, light and compositional rhythm, where few examples are: "Still life with vases" (1924), "Still life" (1926) or "Roses in a jar on a table with lemon and flowers" which can be found in the Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu. Ceramics, especially pots in his work have a special significance. They represent the connection with Romanian folk tradition and the rural universe, which the artist considers essential for defining national identity. Ceramic vases are not just decorative objects, but symbols of cultural permanence and continuity of tradition. By integrating them into still lifes, the painter introduces in the composition a dialogue between modernity and Romanian folk heritage. The open book symbolizes the world of ideas, education and the thirst for knowledge. It adds a note of intellectual depth, suggesting that the viewer should not only admire the physical beauty of flowers but reflect on intellectual activity, where this emphasizes knowledge, spirituality and the dialogue between culture and daily life. Ion Theodorescu-Sion's work reflects the artist's concern for combining European modernism with traditional Romanian values, and through these elements, Sion creates a dialogue between nature, culture and man, demonstrating that this is not just a representation of objects, but also a form of expressing sensitivity, knowledge and spiritual values. (S.S)

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SESSION

Thu, 18 June 2026 19:00

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Summer Auction #649/2026

12. Still Life with Peonies and Folk Pottery [1920-1926]

12. Still Life with Peonies and Folk Pottery [1920-1926]

Ion Theodorescu-Sion

References

Research information

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