Scholarly record

ART NOUVEAU EXPRESSIONS IN THE ROMANIAN FINE ARTS ALLEGORIES BY ARTIST NICOLAE VERMONT (FROM THE BUCHAREST PINACOTHEQUE COLLECTION)

L. Codau

Abstract

The Bucharest Pinacotheque collection preserves 2500 paintings created by Romanian and European artists, more or less known to the public. In this context, the article presents the results of a research that aimed at offering a clearer image of Art Nouveau expressions in Romanian painting, under the influences of the late 19th century European artistic vision. Although the Art Nouveau movement in Romanian fine arts has been little embraced and researched, some audacious examples are still preserved, painted by the young romanian artists, who studied in the main European artistic education centers. The scientific study focuses on two decorative panels, forgotten, but rediscovered in the Bucharest Pinacotheque deposits, painted in 1903, under strong Symbolist and Art Nouveau influences, by Nicolae Vermont. Being an important Romanian modern artist, he was trained in The Fine Arts Academy of Munich, during the blooming of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) aesthetics. Besides the rarity of his thematical choice - the allegory of the muse of lyric poetry and music, - the large dimensions of each canvas (205,5 x 100 cm) and the fragments of glue found on the verso, were technical details that raised questions about their accurate artistic value, their social and historical background. The only information found in the collection archive, mentiones that the panels were transfered from the Bucharest City Hall, in 1990. Through scientific study and field research, I have discovered that The allegories had been ordered for jurist Constantin Hamangiu’s house, an important member of The Romanian Academy. They were meant to decorate the hall of his house, located on Calea Mo?ilor street nr. 99, Bucharest - house that was demolished by the communists on December 6th 1986, as a result of the Bucharest Systematisation Plan implementation. Before the demolition, the Bucharest Mayoralty had improperly rescued them, transferring them to the Bucharest Pinacotheque (Art gallery). The iconography chosen for this decorative order is a Symbolist one, inspired by Greek mythology – the myth of Pegasus and the Muses, The woman with lyre being identified as Erato, - but the work is also the result of artistic fantasy. The allegory of Romantic music, The woman with violin, was dedicated to Beethowen, being depicted according to Jugendstil decorative aesthetics. The facts found underlined their high artistic value and determined us to require their enlistment in the National Cultural Heritage Treasure. The numerous degradations presented require the urgent restoration of the canvases, thus to be exhibited to the public for the first time.

Publication details

Back to publication list