136. Breakfast [anii '20]

Sándor (Alexandru) Ziffer is one of the artists who played an important role in the development of modern Romanian painting, a proponent of the Baia Mare School, one of the major factors driving the modern artistic life. He first studied in Budapest, between 1895 and 1900 at the School of Industrial Design and the School of Arts and Crafts. He is drawn to expressionism, but remains attached to the Baia Mare area. From 1906 onwards, he settled permanently in Baia Mare, as an independent artist, travelling abroad on several occasions. He operated in France, at Moelon, between 1906 and 1907 and in Germany, in Berlin, between 1914 and 1918. After returning from abroad, he wanted to perfect his study of nature, the reproduction of the spiritual connection of the landscape with the inner life of man and his everyday life. He will also approach in his works portraits, self-portraits, still lifes with flowers and fruits. With regard to this work, which we can frame in the period of the 1930-1940s when he will begin to focus more on creating scenes with still nature with flowers or fruits, the focus of interest here is on capturing a still life with fruits, eggs, and knife which are placed on a table, a scene that could represent an ideal breakfast for the morning table. The still nature is mainly composed of a few apples of different colors placed on a plate, a knife leaned against its edge, and a boiled egg placed in a holder. More than a still nature, in this work, each object carries a meaning, and the juxtaposition between them and the warm colors chosen integrate perfectly with the decor and the fruits. All this can suggest an ideal breakfast, an ordinary everyday life, but also a thoroughly made absolute balance which the artist wanted to capture, along with the elements and color range used. In creating the composition, he uses open and bright colors, where in it shades of green, red and yellow can be observed in the execution of the apples on the plate, blue in the choice of the tablecloth on which the food is placed, and white and beige in painting the egg and the holder.

References

Stefan BORGHIDA, "Sandor Ziffer, Emeritus Master of Art from the P.R.R., Retrospective Exhibition, 1957."

Dimensions

width 40 cm, height 35 cm

Description

ulei pe pânză, signed and dated top left, in black, "Ziffer, 1946"

Dating

anii '20

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