90. In Love [1875-1880]

The roots of the academic orientation in Theodor Aman's works can be identified in the creations of his masters, Constantin Lecca or Barbu Iscovescu. He will take the sure line promoted by them, surpassing the imitative stage and will, undoubtedly, excel in all genres addressed. In portraits, Aman focuses on underscoring the moral features of his protagonists, and in historical pictures, he will manage to reiterate the role of the hero in tumultuous action. The artist paid special attention to the landscape in the second part of his creation. In this stage, marked by trials and experiments, Theodor Aman detaches from the realist-academician training and adopts the specific characteristics of plein-air painting. He does not entirely adopt the impressionist manner, but he develops techniques of mapping the luminosity and acquires a more serene chromatic palette. Rich in details, Aman's landscapes retain the social note - the artist's own style mark. The idyllic conceptualism of his landscapes contrasts sharply with the first stage of creation, of historical nature. In the last two decades, the artist's work will know a much broader creative horizon and the abandonment of the rigors imposed by academicism. This is the stage where he detaches from the studio and familiarizes himself with the issues that outdoor painting implies. Whether they are transcriptions of parks in Bucharest or reproductions of corners from his own garden, the works specific to this period have reduced dimensions and are often crowned by the human presence. In the artist's creation, we identify transcriptions of the inner courtyards, especially his garden which in the past completed his home space that has become a museum today. The courtyard with its green spaces, tall trees and green grass, the tables and chairs, the gate or the statues often introduce us to the intimate atmosphere of the painter's life. He directs his attention to nature, placing his deepest emotions on his landscape. Amidst flowers, grass, and trees, we sometimes distinguish the human figure. Aman captures the man strolling through the park or sitting in the boat, ready to prepare the fishing nets. Endowed with the mastery of the historic chronicler, the painter creates landscapes that become true testimonies of his era.

References

RADU, Bogdan, "Theodor Aman", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1955. FLOREA, Vasile, "Theodor Aman", Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1965.

Dimensions

width 6.5 cm, height 10 cm

Description

oil on wood, signed bottom left, in white, "Aman"

Dating

1875-1880

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