Gheorghe Tattarescu (; October 1818 – October 24, 1894) was a

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

n, later

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and a pioneer of

neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

in his country's modern painting.

Biography

Early life and studies

Tattarescu was born in Focşani in 1818. He began as an apprentice to his uncle Nicolae Teodorescu, a church painter. He studied at the Painting School from

Buzău The city of Buzău (formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu''; ) is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carp ...

, when Teodorescu moved there. The

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

Bishop of Buzău,

Chesarie Căpățână Chesarie Căpățână (born Constantin Căpățână; 1784–November 30, 1846) was a Wallachian bishop. Biography Origins and ascension Born in Bucharest to a poor couple, Efrem Cavafu and his wife Dragna, he attended the Greek school at D ...

, helped him obtain a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he was taught by professors from the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...

. While there, Tattarescu made copies of paintings by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

Bartolomé Estéban Murillo Bartolomé may refer to: Places * Bartolomé Island (Spanish: Isla Bartolomé), a volcanic islet in the Galápagos Islands Group * Isla Bartolomé, Diego Ramirez Islands, Chile People * Bartolomé Bermejo (c.1440–c.1501), Spanish painter * Barto ...

Salvatore Rosa Salvator Rosa (1615 –1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticized landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th ...

, and

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

Political activities

Tattarescu was a participant in the 1848 Revolution in

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 so ...

. After the revolution, he painted portraits of Romanian revolutionaries in exile such as

Gheorghe Magheru General Gheorghe Magheru (; 1802, Bârzeiul de Gilort, Gorj County – 23 March 1880) was a Romanian revolutionary and soldier from Wallachia, and political ally of Nicolae Bălcescu. A Pandur and radical conspirator Magheru began his ...

, Ştefan Golescu, and, in 1851, that of

Nicolae Bălcescu Nicolae Bălcescu () (29 June 181929 November 1852) was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution. Early life Born in Bucharest to a family of low-ranking nobility, he used his mother' ...

(in three almost identical versions).

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 ...

ideals were the inspiration for his allegorical compositions with revolutionary themes in ''Romania's rebirth'' (1849), the patriotic ''Principalities' Unification'' (1857) and ''February 11 - The Modern Romania'' (1866).Voinescu, p. 46-47

Later life and legacy

In 1860, being commissioned to draw up a ''National Album'' of sights and historical monuments of the country, his talent of painting vaguely Romantic landscapes became highly valued. At the same time, showing his sympathy with various peasant uprisings, he painted ''The peasant at 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 , pa ...

'' in 1875. He was also commissioned to decorate several churches in a neoclassical manner. In 1864, together with painter

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 ...

, Tattarescu founded the National School of Fine Arts 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 ...

. He was a professor there for a long time after, and served as the School's Director for two years (1891–1892). In 1865, he wrote ''Useful Principles and Studies on Proportions of the Human Body and Drawing after the Most Famous Painters''. Tattarescu died in Bucharest. The house he bought in 1855 and lived in for almost 40 years is now home to the ''Gheorghe Tattarescu Memorial Museum''. It was opened 1951, and hosts several of his original works of art.

Gallery

''Click on an image to view it enlarged.'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Monah batran.jpg, ''Old monk'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Sotia pictorului cu fiul.jpg, ''Painter's wife and his son'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Pelerin.jpg, ''Pilgrim'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Ion Gradisteanu.jpg, ''Portrait of Ion Grădişteanu'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Maria Gradisteanu.jpg, ''Portrait of Maria Grădişteanu'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Peisaj din Italia.jpg, ''Landscape from Italy'' Image:Gheorghe Tattarescu - Pestera Dambovicioara.jpg, ''Dâmbovicioara cave''

Notes

References

* Voinescu, Teodora, ''Gheorghe Tattarescu 1818-1894'', Ed. Academiei Romane, 1940.

External links

*
Biography at artnet.com

Biography at maroumanie.com

Biography at compendium.ro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tattarescu, Gheorghe 1818 births 1894 deaths Romanian romantic painters Romanian Neoclassical painters People from Focșani People of the Revolutions of 1848 Bucharest National University of Arts faculty Romanian art critics Romanian essayists Romanian muralists Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Burials at Bellu Cemetery 19th-century journalists Male journalists 19th-century Romanian painters Male essayists 19th-century male writers 19th-century essayists