103. In Conversation [anii '20]

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103. In Conversation [anii '20]

Ştefan Dimitrescu

1886, Huşi - 1933, Iaşi

Estimate:

EUR 3.500 - 5.500

Sold

EUR 6.500

References

PARADAIS, Claudiu, "Șt. Dimitrescu", Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1978.

oil on canvas, 30 x 39.5 cm, signed lower right, in brown, "Șt. Dimitrescu"

Research information

This work or a larger version of it is reproduced in "Gândirea", April 1925, Year IV, No. 12-13.

The artist often captures the world of the village or the local color of Dobrogea, portraits of Turks, peasants, or workers. In portraits, he tends to decipher the complexity of his subjects' inner turmoil, giving them neutral or sometimes meditative expressions. The portrait also allows him to assert himself as a draftsman. The sketched characters blend harmoniously with the artist's coloristic decisions. His musical ambitions are transcribed into harmonious chromatic rhythms, with strong accents, in stark contrasts. Through color, Dimitrescu emphasizes both shadow and light, as well as form and modeling. He also pays special attention to the clothing and accessories of his characters. His concern for social issues and the undeniable interest in human psychology are noted both in genre scenes or portraits, as well as in landscapes. During his studies in Paris, the sap of Cézanne's creation was to cling to the canvas of the Romanian painter, whose predilection for rigorous plasticity was undeniable. The artist produces an entire series dedicated to the Tatars from Mangalia, Techirghiol, or Balchik, seascapes, and Dobrogea streets. Based on the belief that the artist can learn in any circumstance, Dimitrescu uses travels at home and abroad as vital landmarks in the search for the meaning of his work. In compositions with characters, he primarily focused on the Romanian peasant, but his work is also rich in appearing Tatars from the Dobrogea region. Sometimes he stops in the Iași area, a city that guided his steps through the art world and consolidated his perception of his own talent. Thus, he transcribes the local color of his native landscapes and captures the city with its streets and multicultural neighborhoods. In the current work, he introduces us to the familiar universe of gate discussions, in which women dressed in aprons and headscarves become representative of an entire social category. Peasant houses with their shrill roofs, and lanes with dirt roads contribute to shaping the overflowing atmosphere. Dimitrescu's painting, therefore, remains a milestone in the history of Romanian art, deeply rooted in native traditions and customs.

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