34. Bather [1933]

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34. Bather [1933]

Iosif Iser

1881, București - 1958, Bucureşti

Estimate:

EUR 4.000 - 6.000

Sold

EUR 4.000

References

MIHALACHE, Marin, "Iser", Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1982. Exhibition Catalog "Iser's Travels", Alina Petrescu, National Museum of Art of Romania Publishing House, Bucharest, 2021.

gouache on paper, 66 x 45 cm, signed and dated bottom right, in black, "ISER, (19)33"

Bewitched by the mystery of the orient and seduced by the exotic abundance of the landscapes, Iosif Iser would repeatedly travel to Constanța, Mangalia or Turtucaia, but also to Balchik or on the Bosporus shore. The artist would dedicate a long period of time to studying the traditions and customs of the Turkish minority on the Black Sea shore. From the same pictorial theme, the series of odalisques that would remain imprinted in the collective memory of his audience would later be born. Iser uses the dull color of Dobrogea and its arid landscape, his characters are slightly geometrized, and his palette gradually brightens, often carrying shades of red, green, yellow, or orange. From what he observes around him, the artist chooses the most representative frame to transpose into pictorial narratives. In this way, he manages to transcribe oriental stories into a series dedicated to the odalisques, tatars, traditional houses, minarets, or streets from the east. Over time he was interested in depicting the lives of typologies that motivated his creative self - harlequins, dancers, singers, or odalisques. The oriental-inspired theme is one of the subjects that has consecrated the artist in the history of Romanian art. In these works, he mainly focuses on deciphering the complex characters of his characters - Turks or odalisques, which he differentiates by suggesting some peculiarities. Set on the sofa, in an armchair, on the carpet, or illustrated standing up, Iser's odalisques-caryatides impress us with each appearance. The oriental costume, consisting of vests, veils, but especially the trousers that allow them to move freely and to have a more relaxed attitude is the distinctive element of his works. The painter will focus, therefore, not only on the psychology of the character, but also on gestures or body language, or on details such as the clothing of his muses. The statuesque posture of the model and the bare body will converge towards a contrast between the open flesh and the strident color of the strokes rendered in the background.

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