Constantin Daniel Rosenthal (''b''.
Pest,
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...
: ''Rosenthal Konstantin'', 1820 – July 23, 1851) was a Romanian painter and sculptor of
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
-
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
ish birth and a
1848 revolutionary, best known for his
portrait
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...
s and his choice of
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
Romantic nationalist
Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...
subjects.
Biography
Early career
Born into a
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
ish merchant family in
Pest (part of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence ...
at the time), he left the city at the age of seventeen in order to attend the
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute ...
, where he studied
archaeological drawing (graduating in 1839) and made his first Romanian acquaintance, the painter
Ioan D. Negulici.
Rosenthal arrived in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, the capital of
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
, around 1842, where he was probably commissioned to paint the first in a long series of
boyar's portraits. He was introduced to the
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
-
radical circles by Negulici, becoming very close to
C. A. Rosetti.
Dissatisfied with his
oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest of ...
technique, he left for
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
in late 1844, he attended art courses in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, and began attending meetings of Wallachian and
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
n students who expressed nationalist and radical ideals. He was accompanied by Rosetti, who praised Rosenthal's work ethic:
"There are many Romanians here utnone of them have to bear the cold Rosenthal has to n his lodging Strange how the noble aim enpowers... there truly are plenty elloquent proofs that the man shall become great!".
This is the most likely date of his multiple portrait, kept only in its
lithograph rendition, showing Rosetti embracing Rosenthal himself and a third, unknown person - Rosenthal painted himself wearing a
phrygian cap.
Wallachian revolution
In 1846, the profit from his works afforded him a trip to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
; upon his return to Paris, he was informed of his family's financial destitution, and left for
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
in early 1847, only to leave in summer for
Mehadia
Mehadia ( hu, Mehádia; german: Mehadia; tr, Mehadiye) is a small market town and commune in Caraș-Severin County, Banat, Romania. It lies on the European route E70, in the Cerna River valley. The town is located on the site of the ancient R ...
, and then, in August, for Bucharest. Rosenthal again joined the radical circles, this time as a member of the
secret society ''Frăţia'', which was by then masking itself as a
literary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of writing or a specific author. Modern literary societies typically promote research, publish newsle ...
presided by
Iancu Văcărescu
Iancu Văcărescu (1786–1863) was a Romanians, Romanian Wallachian boyar and poet, member of the Văcărescu family.
Biography
The son of Alecu Văcărescu, descending from a long line of Wallachian Intellectual, men of letters — his pater ...
, and was commissioned by
Vasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri (; 21 July 182122 August 1890) was a Romanian patriot, poet, dramatist, politician and diplomat. He was one of the key figures during the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia and Wallachia. He fought for the unification of the Romani ...
to paint a portrait of the deceased
Elena Negri after a
daguerrotype
Daguerreotype (; french: daguerréotype) was the first publicly available photography, photographic process; it was widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. "Daguerreotype" also refers to an image created through this process.
Invented by Loui ...
. He also painted the portrait of
Anica Manu, the wife of ''
Aga
Aga or AGA may refer to:
Business
* Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA), a glazing contractor, established in 1970
* AGA (automobile), ''Autogen Gasaccumulator AG'', 1920s German car company
*AGA AB, ''Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator'', a ...
''
Iancu Manu.
Upon the outbreak of the revolution, Rosenthal was spared the first wave of repression ordered by
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
Gheorghe Bibescu
Gheorghe Bibescu (;April 26th 1804 – 1 June 1873) was a ''hospodar'' (Prince) of Wallachia between 1843 and 1848. His rule coincided with the revolutionary tide that culminated in the 1848 Wallachian revolution.
Early political career
Born in ...
- given the fact that he carried an Austrian passport. On June 18, 1848, soon after the Provisional Government took hold, Rosenthal applied for Wallachian
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
(in theory,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n - as the new administrative body indicated its goal in the union of the two
Danubian Principalities); the document giving him the right of
naturalization justified it as "taking in view his talent and the active part he played in the revolution". In his correspondence with Rosetti, he later testified: "I never would have thought that I could be as Wallachian as I am now".
The Government assigned him the designing of a
triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...
in Bucharest, one meant to mark the success of the revolution, and, probably, of a ''Statue of Liberty'' (the latter project only survives in a
watercolour
Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...
by
Theodor Aman
Theodor Aman (20 March 1831 – 19 August 1891) was a Romanian painter, engraver and art professor. He mostly produced genre and history scenes.
Biography
His father was a cavalry commander from Craiova but he was born in Câmpulung, where his f ...
, ''Dezrobirea Ţiganilor'' - "The Freeing of the
Gypsies
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
").
Exile
In late September, after
Ottoman troops intervened against the revolution, most radicals were arrested and
transported
''Transported'' is an Australian convict melodrama film directed by W. J. Lincoln. It is considered a lost film.
Plot
In England, Jessie Grey is about to marry Leonard Lincoln but the evil Harold Hawk tries to force her to marry him and she w ...
on board small vessels on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, to exile in various locations. Rosenthal made public his request to join them, but was answered that Austrian protection still applied to him, and, although he requested to be viewed as a Wallachian, was denied permission to board. Subsequently, he and Rosetti's wife
Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
followed the ships on shore from
Giurgiu to
Sviniţa, where they convinced the Austrian mayor to disarm the Ottoman guards, and allow the prisoners to go free.
He returned to Pest-Buda, which was still witnessing the
Hungarian revolution at the time, left for Paris in May 1850, and subsequently joined Romanian exiles in carrying out
propaganda work. His most celebrated paintings, two
national personifications — ''România revoluţionară'' ("Revolutionary Romania", which was also a portrait of Maria Rosetti) and ''România rupându-şi cătuşele pe Câmpia Libertăţii'' ("Romania Breaking off Her Chains on the Field of Liberty") —, date from this period.
Persecution and killing
Soon without money, Rosenthal left for
Switzerland, and lived for a while in late 1850 in the town of
Porrentruy
Porrentruy (, fc, Poérreintru , german: Pruntrut) is a Swiss municipality and seat of the district of the same name located in the canton of Jura.
Porrentruy is home to National League team, HC Ajoie.
History
The first trace of human pre ...
, before leaving for
Fribourg
, neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne
, twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France)
, website = www.ville-fribourg.ch
, Location of , Location of ()
() ...
, then
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
, in the first days of 1851. In
Graz until July, where he began receiving some attention from critics, he decided to return to Wallachia in an attempt to rekindle the radical movement.
His plan was divulged by spies of the
Second French Republic
The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Revo ...
(already under the authority of
Prince-President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte), who read Rosenthal's correspondence in Paris; the Austrians arrested the painter during his presence in Pest-Buda, citing his "imprudent political statements". Pressured to reveal his connections and refusing to comply, Rosenthal was
torture
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. definitions of tortur ...
d to death; his body was never returned to his family.
In 1878, Maria Rosetti wrote a piece for ''Mama şi Copilul'' magazine, in which she praised her deceased friend:
" osenthal wasone of the best and the most loyal people that God created after His image. He died for Romania, for its liberties; he died for his Romanian friends. ..This friend, this son, this martyr of Romania is an Israelite. His name was Daniel Rosenthal."[Ion C. Butnaru, ''The Silent Holocaust: Romania and Its Jews'', Praeger/Greenwood, Westport, 1992, p.13]
Gallery
Image:Rosenthal - Romania rupandu-si catusele pe Campia Libertatii.jpg, ''Romania Breaking off Her Chains on the Field of Liberty''
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Maria Rosetti.jpg, ''Portrait of Maria Rosetti
Maria Rosetti (born Marie Grant; 1819 – ) was a Guernsey born Wallachian and Romanian political activist, journalist, essayist, philanthropist and socialite. The sister of British diplomat Effingham Grant and wife of radical leader C. A. Ros ...
''
Image:Rosenthal Női arckép 1844.jpg, ''Portrait of a woman'' (1844)
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Convalescenta.jpg, ''Convalescence''
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Anica Manu cu copilul.jpg, ''Anica Manu with her child''
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Portretul lui Nicolae Golescu.jpg, ''Portrait of Nicolae Golescu
Nicolae Golescu (1810–1877) was a Wallachian Romanian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Romania in 1860 and May–November 1868.James Chastain (2004). ''Golescu Brothers''. Ohio University https://www.ohio.edu/chastain/dh/golesb.ht ...
''
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Portretul lui Teodor Arion.jpg, ''Portrait of Teodor Arion''
Image:Constantin Daniel Rosenthal - Vanitas (1848).jpg, ''Vanity'' (1848)
Notes
References
*Academia Republicii Romîne, Institutul de Istoria Artei, ''Scurtă istorie a artelor plastice în R.P.R.'', II, ''Secolul XIX'', Editura Academiei Republicii Romîne, Bucharest, 1958, p. 61-68
*
Neagu Djuvara
Neagu Bunea Djuvara (; 18 August 1916 – 25 January 2018) was a Romanian historian, essayist, philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat.
Biography
Early life
A native of Bucharest, he was descended from an aristocratic Aromanian family ...
, ''Între Orient şi Occident. Ţările române la începutul epocii moderne'', Humanitas, Bucharest, 1995, p. 359-360
*
Ion Frunzetti
Ion Frunzetti (1918–1985) was a Romanian art critic and historian. He was vice president of the Union of Fine Artists, head of the Literature and Arts Section of the Academy of Social and Political Sciences, professor at Bucharest
Buchares ...
, ''Pictorul revoluţionar C.Rosenthal'', Ed. de Stat pentru Literatură şi Artă, Bucharest, 1955
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenthal, Constantin Daniel
Romanian romantic painters
Romanian revolutionaries
Austrian Jews
19th-century Austrian painters
Austrian male painters
Hungarian Jews
Hungarian romantic painters
Romanian people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
Jewish painters
Artists from Budapest
People of the Revolutions of 1848
Romanian Jews
Romanian torture victims
Romanian people who died in prison custody
1820 births
1851 deaths
19th-century Austrian male artists