National Museum of Art Cluj-Napoca

ANONYME, The archangel Michel

The Archangel Michel, is a painting on a wooden surface. The Archangel is depicted with a sword in his hand which underlines his role as the master of the heavenly armies. The desire to create symmetrical and equal areas can be noticed in the painting and the abundant usage of red and green grants it a harmony and gravity. The composition of an arc of vines and flowers between the two columns is recreated in the story of the painting with a continuous technique which gives a flow to the work. The clothes are rather good depictions of the fashion of the era that the painting handles. Archangel Michel is regularly depicted as the patron saint in many churches in Transylvania and Maramuresh.

CAROL POPP DE SZATHMARI, Scene orientale

The artist is born in Cluj to a multicultural environment and a close family. He first grows enthusiasm towards literature, music and visual arts in his family and he finishes his studies in the Fine Arts Academy in the subsequent years. He lives for some time as a wanderer and thus he sees a lot of countries and encounters many different cultures. His last stop becomes Bucharest where he creates an atelier in an oriental fashion.

He is among the most complicated personas of his generation and travelling stays as his primary passion. He uses the interesting people he saw during his trips in his paintings and this gave an exotic aura to his art.

Theodor AMAN, The Garden

Theodor Aman is an eclectic character of Renaissance Era, he is a painter, designer, woodcrafter, an avid art collector, teacher and a master debater. He successfully integrated himself into the Western European artist circle as a Romanian and he pursued his career in Paris. Among the forthcoming trends in art during his era were, the romanticism of Delacroix and Gericault, Realism of Courbet, Braziban School and the impressionists. Yet he evolved artistically by adding personal and original interpretations into his art. This is because according to him: “The artists do not imitate; they absorb”. He focuses on paintings of nature following the developments in the agriculture industry and the problems this phenomenon brings along. In 1870 he has a house built for himself which also becomes his own studio. This house with a large balcony full of plants turns into a source of inspiration for himself. The vivid colors on his palette and vibrant light rays he materializes bring a silent harmony to this world he creates for himself.

Corneliu MEDREA, Les fées

Corneliu Medrea’s works are impressive not because of their significant numbers but also for the way they are illustrated and the sculpting techniques used during creation. After his education in Bucharest, Medrea joined 'artistic youth' and society of ‘Roman art'. The realities of war deeply disturbed him. His outrageous vitality is answered by works with obvious expressionistic notes. But the plastic metaphor of its creation is the result of a conception and an attitude of serene and beneficial integration in the existence proper to our people. Nowhere better than in the work of Medrea can we feel so strongly this wise and vital acceptance, represented by the means of figurative art. It introduces into our sculpture a nature and sometimes in opposition to it. The special qualities of the original plastic form developed by Medrea does not aim at sensuality or the free play of forms, but a temporal equilibrium of being with nature.

Nicolae GRIGOROSCU, La bergère

In Grigorousu’s works rural and agricultural areas are very often depicted. He is influenced by the physical beauty, optimism and moral of the shepherds and seldom used them in his paintings. He tried to underline a sentiment of equality whilst using warm and bright colors.