171. Wedding [anii '40]

"An expression of pain or drive towards the infinite. In this sense, it leans towards Brâncuși and Ţuculescu." This is what critic Petru Comarnescu would say about the works of Magdalena Rădulescu. Magdalena Rădulescu is a distinctive figure in Romanian and European painting due to the originality of her themes. The artist's creation combines the sacrosanct of Romanian spirituality with the world of fairy tales and mythic visions, thus elevating the spaces of indigenous art to the level of universal values. With an unmistakable spirit of an "alchemist", Magdalena Rădulescu surprises by the heterogeneous blend she proposes: expressionism, symbolism, and elements of folk art. The theme we often observe in Magdalena Rădulescu's works is of folk fashion. In the '30s-'40s, the artist distinguished herself with her national painting at exhibitions in Bucharest and Paris. The folkloric and oriental note works at the compositional level like a binder between mystical and traditional. The influences that shape Magdalena's work come from different sources: from her childhood, which she spent in Constanța surrounded by an oriental population, but also from the time she spent in Nice knowing the carnivals and dancers. Magdalena continued her artistic studies throughout her life, attending performances, plays, and exhibitions. The artist was fascinated by the world of the circus, the dynamism of the acrobats. Carnivals, performances, Romanian dances, all these vibrant aspects influenced her work. In the '30s-'40s, the artist transposes the rhythm of the steps heard on Dobrogea lands, through characters and scenes: dancers, musicians, weddings, and parties. The artist's world is characterized by an amalgam of real events. Magdalena Rădulescu uses tradition and spiritual inheritance as an organic structure. In the works that have their creative sap in the mystery of weddings, the happiness of the characters is not noticeable. The artist's attention is not focused on the details that would give veracity to the present faces, but on the sacredness of the moment they are exposed to. In the works that have a wedding theme, the female characters predominate: "Self-portrait in a wedding dress", "Wedding preparations", compositions made close to the period in which the artist got married. The wedding is a subject preferred by Magdalena Rădulescu, the artist paying special attention in the '40s. In the present work, "Wedding", the groom is also present, and the composition is structured in accordance with the five characters. The color palette is dominated by white, which also has a symbolic value. The palette is later enriched by red, brown, and ocher. In search of new beginnings, the theme of weddings creates connections between life and art. With grace, the artist transposed onto the canvas the aspects of interest in life and created a phantasm around them. Therefore, the work becomes the synthesis of Magdalena Rădulescu's themes. With an innovative vision, always changing, the artist stands out through the themes addressed in her works. Magdalena remains an exception in the Romanian artistic space, deepening the circle of hypotheses that might frame her in a certain style, because she managed to maintain a certain style of her own regardless of the trends of the moment and to connect two distinct directions of European painting – the symbolist tendencies and the ecstatic character of art. (C.M.)

References

ILNIȚCHI-ARDELEAN, Alexandra, “Magdalena Rădulescu: 120 Years of Bohemian Grace”, Brașov Art Museum Publishing House, 2022 DEAC, Mircea, “Magdalena Rădulescu”, Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1980

Dimensions

width 72 cm, height 60 cm

Description

oil on canvas, Signed lower left, in red, "Magdalena Rădulescu"

Research information

The artwork was part of the exhibition "Magdalena Rădulescu", National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest, 1994. The artwork was part of the exhibition "Magdalena Rădulescu. 120 years of bohemian grace", Brașov Art Museum, 2022, and is reproduced in the exhibition catalog on page 37.

Dating

anii '40

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For clarifications regarding the bidding procedure, hammer price costs, guarantee, payment, and collection terms for the winning lot, we recommend carefully reading/re-reading the Bidding Regulations.

For additional information regarding the lot and the auction, please contact the Art Consultants Department.