Nicolae Grigorescu (; 15 May 1838 – 21 July 1907) was one of the founders of modern
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 ...
n painting.
There is a
metro station
A metro station or subway station is a station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase Train ticket, tickets, board trains, and Emergency eva ...
named after Grigorescu in Bucharest. It was given his name in 1990, before which it was named after Communist army general
Leontin Sălăjan
Leontin Sălăjan ( hu, Szilágyi Ignác; 19 June 1913 – 28 August 1966) was a Romanian communist military and political leader.
Born in Santău Commune, Satu Mare County (then in Szilágy County, Austria-Hungary),Pitaru,
Dâmbovița County
Dâmbovița County (also spelt ''Dîmbovița'', ) is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Târgoviște, the most important economic, political, administrative and cultural center of the county.
It has an area of ...
, Wallachia now called Romania. In 1843 his family moved to
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 ...
. At a young age (between 1846 and 1850), he became an apprentice at the workshop of the Czech painter Anton Chladek and created icons for the church of
Băicoi
Băicoi () is a town in Prahova County, Romania, near the 45th parallel. Five localities are administered by the town: Dâmbu, Liliești, Schela, Tufeni, and Țintea. Over time, these have become neighborhoods of the town.Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
saving the flag''), which he presented to the
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 ...
n
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. Th ...
Barbu Ştirbei, together with a petition asking for financial aid for his studies.
Between 1856 and 1857, he painted the church of the Zamfira monastery,
Prahova County
Prahova County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploiești.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 762,886 and the population density was 161/km². It is Romania's third mos ...
, and in 1861 the church of the Agapia monastery. With the help of
Mihail Kogălniceanu
Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on October 11, 1863, ...
, he received a scholarship to study in France.
In the autumn of 1861, young Grigorescu left for
Paris
Paris () is the capital and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, where he studied at the
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...
. He also attended the workshop of Sébastien Cornu, where he had as a colleague
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "R ...
. Knowing his weaknesses, he concentrated drawing and
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
*Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...
. However, he soon left this workshop and, attracted by the artistic concepts of the
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of an art movement towards Realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870. It takes its name f ...
, he left Paris for that village, where he became the associate of artists such as
Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet (; 4 October 1814 – 20 January 1875) was a French artist and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. Millet is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers and can be categorized as part of the Realism ...
,
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot ( , , ; July 16, 1796 – February 22, 1875), or simply Camille Corot, is a French landscape and portrait painter as well as a printmaker in etching. He is a pivotal figure in landscape painting and his vast ...
,
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( , , ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting. Committed to painting only what he could see, he rejected academic convention and t ...
and
Théodore Rousseau
Étienne Pierre Théodore Rousseau (April 15, 1812December 22, 1867) was a French painter of the Barbizon school.
Life
Youth
He was born in Paris, France in a bourgeois family.
At first he received a basic level of training, but soon displaye ...
. Under the influence of the movement, Grigorescu looked for new means of expression and followed the trend of ''
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
'' painting, which was also important in
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
. As part of the
Universal Exposition
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
of Paris (1867), he contributed seven works. Then he exhibited at the
Paris Salon
The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...
of 1868 the painting ''Tânără ţigancă'' (''Young Gypsy girl'').
He returned to Romania a few times and starting in 1870 he participated in the exhibits of living artists and those organized by the Society of the Friends of the Belle-Arts. Between 1873 and 1874 he traveled to Italy, Greece and Vienna.
In 1877 he was called to accompany the
Romanian Army
The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
as a "frontline painter" in the
Romanian War of Independence
The Romanian War of Independence is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), following which Romania, fighting on the Russian side, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On , Romania and the R ...
. During the battles at the
Grivitsa
Grivitsa ( bg, Гривица, ; also transliterated as ''Grivitza'' or ''Grivica'') is a village in Pleven Municipality, Pleven Province, central northern Bulgaria. It is primarily known as the site of one of the key engagements in the Siege of ...
Strongpoint and Oryahovo, he made drawings and sketches which later used in creating larger-scale works.
In 1889 his work was featured in the Universal Exhibition in Paris and at the
Romanian Atheneum
The Romanian Athenaeum ( ro, Ateneul Român) is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest, Romania, and a landmark of the Romanian capital city. Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city's most prestigious concert hall and ...
. Centerpiece exhibits took place at the Romanian Atheneum would follow in 1891, 1895, 1897, 1902, and 1905.
From 1879 to 1890 he worked in France, especially in Vitré,
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, and in his workshop in Paris. In 1890 he settled in
Câmpina
Câmpina () is a city in Prahova County, Romania, north of the county seat Ploiești, located on the main route between Wallachia and Transylvania. Its existence is first attested in a document of 1503. It is situated in the historical region of Mu ...
and started depicting pastoral themes, especially portraits of peasant girls, pictures of ox carts on dusty country roads and other landscapes. He was named honorary member of the Romanian Academy in 1899.
At the time of his death, Grigorescu had been working on his ''Întoarcerea de la bâlci'' (''The Return from the Fair''). His house in Câmpina opened as the
Nicolae Grigorescu Memorial Museum
The Nicolae Grigorescu Memorial Museum ( ro, Muzeul Memorial Nicolae Grigorescu) is a museum located at 166 Carol I Boulevard, Câmpina, Romania.
The house that hosts the museum was originally built in 1901–1904 for painter Nicolae Grigorescu, h ...
in 1957.
Works
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 033.jpg, Maidens at the entrance.
File:Nicolae_Grigorescu_-_Pescarita_la_Grandville.jpg, ''Pescăriţă la Grandville'' (1884).
File:Nicolae_Grigorescu_-_Taranca_voioasa.jpg, ''Ţărancă voioasă'' (1894).
File:Nicolae_Grigorescu_-_Car_cu_boi.jpg, ''Car cu boi'' (1899).
File:Nicolae_Grigorescu_-_Femeie_pe_malul_marii.jpg, ''Femeie pe malul mării'' (1881).
File:Grigorescu-Gornistul.jpg, ''Gornistul''.
File:Grigorescu-dorobantul.jpg, ''Dorobanțul''.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Andreescu la Barbizon 2.jpg, ''Andreescu la Barbizon''.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Cap de taranca.jpg, ''Cap de țărancă''.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Fata cu zestrea ei.jpg, ''Fată cu zestrea ei''.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Intrând în baie.jpg, ''Intrând în baie''.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Old Woman Darning.jpg, Old Woman Darning.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 005.jpg, ''Ţărancă din Muscel''
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 001.jpg, Akt.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 047.jpg, Porträt eines Mädchens.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 060.jpg, Wächter von Chailly.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu 022.jpg, Interieur in Vitré.
File:Nicolae Grigorescu - Evreu cu caftan.jpg, Hebrew with caftan.
File:Wisent on stamps Romania 1968 Mamaia.jpg, Prince Dragos and Wisent.