36. Golf at Balchik [1936]

The sources of his inspiration can easily be identified in Romanian folk art and Cézanne's visual perspective. From the latter, the artist adopts a focus on balance and compositional organization, while Romanian folk art serves as a reference point for the fascinating science of color. Nature appears in his work as a primordial source of inspiration. "Apollonic and solar", as noted by Petru Comarnescu, Francisc Șirato introduced chiaroscuro effects into the color plans and set a strong accord between theme, vision, and technique. Around the 1930s, Șirato became increasingly preoccupied with the beauty of Balchik, which he transposed into a long series of works. Many of these were appreciated by the public at the exhibitions of the Group of the Four, of which the artist was also a member. The present work, created in 1936, suggestively titled "Rainy Time in Balchik", has participated in several exhibitions over time and has been fervently reproduced in many monographs and albums dedicated to the artist. We mention the double exhibition "Fr. Șirato – N.N. Tonitza" at the Dalles Foundation, held from March 3–31, 1938; as well as the retrospective exhibition "Francisc Șirato", at the Art Museum of the R.P.R., organized in 1964. The hastily applied brushstrokes maintain the artist’s chromatic preferences and become suggestive for the seaside landscape. This time we encounter the eastern world, white houses with their colored roofs, and a rocky shore surrounded by the smooth movements of the sea. The chromatic harmony is focused in the central plane, in the synergy of red, violet, blue, or dark blue. A reflective temperament is unmistakably revealed to the public through the meticulous study of nature and the surrounding environment. The artist is notable for exalting shades and delineating brushstrokes, as well as for maintaining the vibration and warmth of human presence even in landscapes where only urban or village settings remind of their existence. Arranged in several planes, the elements chosen by the artist follow each other in a lyrical unpacking of meanings and mutually enhance each other's aesthetic value.

References

DRĂGUȚ, Vasile, "Fr. Șirato", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1956. ISPIR, Mihai, "Șirato", The Meridians Publishing House, Bucharest, 1979.

Dimensions

width 49 cm, height 40 cm

Description

oil on cardboard, signed and dated bottom left, in brown, "Șirato, (1)936"

Research information

The artwork was part of the exhibition "Fr. Șirato - N.N. Tonitza" at the Dalles Foundation from March 3rd to 31st, 1938, cat. no. 31, under the title "View towards the hills". The artwork also participated in the retrospective exhibition of Francisc Șirato at the Museum of Art of the Romanian People's Republic in Bucharest, in 1964, and is reproduced in the exhibition catalog at cat. 42 under the title "Rainy time in Balchik". The artwork is reproduced in the album "Francisc Șirato", with a preface by Dan Grigorescu, published by Meridiane, Bucharest, 1967, cat. 42, under the name "Rainy time in Balchik". The artwork is reproduced in the monograph "Șirato", Mihai Ispir, published by Meridiane, Bucharest, 1979, cat. 48, under the name "Rainy time in Balchik". The artwork is mentioned and reproduced in the selling notebooks of the painter's paintings according to "Painter Șirato and his collectors", Petre Oprea, Museum Magazine, no. 8, 1987.

Dating

1936

PROVENANCE

The Elena and Dr. Iosif Dona Collection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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