Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck
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Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck (14 March 1879, in Câineni, Vâlcea – 29 October 1969, in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
) was a Romanian painter with a strong influence on cultural life in the interwar period. She was a promoter of
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, contributing to the establishment of the "Association of women painters and sculptors" (together with Olga Greceanu and Nina Arbore) and "Feminin artistic circle". She was the first woman in Europe to become a professor at an art academy, teaching painting and decorative arts at the Bucharest School of Fine Arts.


Biography

Cecilia Cuțescu was born in the village Râul Vadului, in the Câineni commune,
Vâlcea County Vâlcea County (also spelt ''Vîlcea''; ) is a county (județ) that lies in south-central Romania. Located in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (which are separated by the Olt (river), Olt River), it i ...
. She was adopted by her maternal grandparents, from whom she got the name Cuțescu. She, however, remained very close to her parents, Natalia and Ion Brăneanu, and her sisters, Fulvia (who died in her teens) and Ortansa (who became an important feminist activist in Romania). She moved with her grandparents to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, so that she could attend the prestigious Central School for Girls. Passionate about art from an early age, she would sneak off during school hours to paint. The Cuțescu family sought the advice of the renowned Polish realist painter
Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz Tadeusz Ajdukiewicz (18529 January 1916) was a Polish realist painter from around the turn-of-the-century, best known for his battle-scenes, portraits, landscapes and paintings of horses. He was educated in Kraków in the Austrian sector of the ...
, who confirmed Cecilia's talent. After graduating from the Central School, she continued her studies at the ,
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, in 1897. In 1899 she went to Paris and took classes at
Académie Julian The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...
, where she studied under
Jean-Paul Laurens Jean-Paul Laurens (; 28 March 1838 – 23 March 1921) was a romanticism French painter and sculptor, and he is one of the last major exponents of the French Academic style. Biography Laurens was born in Fourquevaux and was a pupil of Léon ...
and
Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (also known as Benjamin-Constant), born Jean-Joseph Constant (10 June 1845 – 26 May 1902), was a French painter and etcher best known for his Oriental subjects and portraits. Biography Benjamin-Constant was ...
. During her time in Paris, her paintings were introduced to the public through exhibitions held in France and Romania. Her public debut was at the 1902 Salon du Champs de Mars, where she displayed an oil painting simply entitled ''Nude Study'', now in the collection of the
National Museum of Art of Romania The National Museum of Art of Romania () is located in the Royal Palace in Revolution Square, central Bucharest. It features collections of medieval and modern Romanian art, as well as the international collection assembled by the Romanian r ...
. She had works accepted in Paris for the Salon d'Automne, and in 1906 had her first one-woman show at Galerie Hessèle in Rue Lafitte. In Bucharest, she became part of the "Tinerimea" ("Youth") group and exhibited with them; the sculptor
Constantin BrâncuÈ™i Constantin BrâncuÈ™i (; February 19, 1876 â€“ March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism ...
had works in those same exhibitions. In Paris, in 1903, she married violinist Romulus Kunzer, by whom she had a son that same year, Romeo, later a prominent artist in his own right, under the name . However, the marriage did not last. In 1906 she returned definitively to Romania and settled in Bucharest, where three years later she married sculptor Frederic (Fritz) Storck, with whom she would remain until his death in 1942. They had two children: architect Gabriela (Gabi) Storck, and Cecilia (Lita) Storck, later ceramicist Cecilia Storck Botez. After her return to Romania, she became particularly interested in
decorative arts ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose aim is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. This includes most of the objects for the interiors of buildings, as well as interior design, but typically excl ...
and monumental
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
s. In 1916, she became a professor in the Department of Decorative Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest (later
Bucharest National University of Arts The National University of Arts in Bucharest () is a university in Bucharest preparing students in fine arts. The National University of Arts is a higher education institution in Bucharest. History The National School of Fine Arts was founded ...
, becoming the first female professor in any government-sponsored European art faculty. She designed and created numerous murals in public buildings in Bucharest, among the most important being the ''Istoria Negoțului Românesc'' ("History of Romanian Trade", 1933) in the hall of the
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (, abbreviated ASE) is a public university in Bucharest, Romania. Founded in 1913 as the ''Academy of Higher-level Commercial and Industrial Studies'' (''Academia de Înalte Studii Comerciale și Indu ...
. She continued to exhibit both in Romania (at the ''Tinerimea'' exhibits, at the official salon, and at state expositions) and abroad. In 1924 and 1928 she represented Romania at the
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
. She was elected president of the Union of Fine Arts in 1937. Cuțescu-Storck published her autobiography ''Fresca unei vieți'' ("Fresco of a Life") in 1943, the year after her husband's death. A revised version ''O viață dedicată artei'' ("A Life Dedicated to Art") was published in 1966; three years later she died in Bucharest.


Casa Storck

Shortly after marrying in 1909, Cecilia and Frederic Storck collaborated with architect Alexandru Clavel to build a family home and studio at Str. Vasile Alecsandri, nr.16. Construcțion began in 1911, and between 1913 and 1917 Cuțescu-Storck decorated the interior with a numerous
Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...
murals, featuring images of women and of luxurious vegetation. These were executed in encaustic rather than the more tradițional fresco, producing warmer, more vibrant colors. Cuțescu-Storck turned the main room of the house into an impressive studio. At the entrance was a green marble pillar, a replica of an architectural element of
St Mark's Basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica (; ), is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cath ...
in Venice. The opposite wall featured two large panels, painted 1912–1915, entitled ''Dragostea pământească și Dragostea spirituală'' ("Earthly and Spiritual Love"). The two panels are separated by a stone fountain sculpted by her husband Frederic, modeled on the door of
Colțea Church The Colțea Church () is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 1 I. C. Brătianu Boulevard, just off University Square, Bucharest, University Square in Bucharest, Romania. It is dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs. History The church was once a ...
, which is located near the University of Bucharest. This diptych evoked the Cuțescu-Storck's belief that women benefit from important intellectual and spiritual resources. In 1918, the Association for the Civil and Political Emancipation of Romanian Women was formally inaugurated in this room. In 1948, under the new Communist regime, the works of Frederic Storck were declared to be "of public utility", and in 1951 the studio was opened as an art museum, with the family preserving living space elsewhere in the house. The entire building is now the Muzeul de Artă Frederic Storck și Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck (Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum of Art), containing works of both artists as well as sculptures by Frederic's father
Karl Storck Karl Storck (1826–1887) was a Grand Duchy of Hesse, Hessian-born Romanian sculptor and art theorist, the most prominent Romanian sculptor of his time. His sons Carol Storck (1854–1926) and Frederic Storck (1872–1924), were also noted art ...
and brother
Carol Storck Carol Storck (10 May 1854, Bucharest – 1926) was a Romanian sculptor. He was the son of Karl Storck and the brother of Frederic Storck, both sculptors. Life and work In 1871, Storck studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Florence with Aug ...
, and at least one piece by their ceramicist daughter .


Artistic career

With her talent proven by the murals in her own home and studio, Cuțescu-Storck began to receive many commissions. The first of this was a mural ''Agriculture, Industry and Commerce'' (1916) for the hall of honor of the building in Strada Doamnei, Bucharest, designed by architect
Petre Antonescu Petre Antonescu (June 29, 1873 – April 22, 1965) was a Romanian architect. Over the course of a career that spanned the first half of the 20th century, he established himself as a leader in the field within his country, helping define a na ...
. Her later ''Istoria Negoțului Românesc'' ("History of Romanian Trade", 1933) in the hall of the
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (, abbreviated ASE) is a public university in Bucharest, Romania. Founded in 1913 as the ''Academy of Higher-level Commercial and Industrial Studies'' (''Academia de Înalte Studii Comerciale și Indu ...
was a massive mural, exceeding , and showing over 100 distinct life-sized individuals. Arranged in six successive registers, they show the development of trade in Romania over time. Another prestigious commission was the ceiling of the throne room of the Romanian Royal Palace, now the
National Museum of Art of Romania The National Museum of Art of Romania () is located in the Royal Palace in Revolution Square, central Bucharest. It features collections of medieval and modern Romanian art, as well as the international collection assembled by the Romanian r ...
. This allegorical composition in a round format bears the title ''Apologia artelor românești'' ("Apology of Romanian Arts"). In 1937 she was invited to participate in the decoration of the Romanian pavilion of the
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mu ...
in Paris, contributing a composition depicting 16th-century Wallachian voivode
Petru Cercel Petru II Cercel (''Peter Earring'' or ''Earring Peter''; c. 1545 – March 1590) was a Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia from 1583 to 1585, legitimate son to Pătrașcu cel Bun and alleged half-brother of Mihai Viteazul. A polyglot and a minor figu ...
and his court. Besides her murals, Cuțescu-Storck executed numerous Symbolist paintings and landscapes in oil on canvas, oil on cardboard, pastels, ink, and other media. One important lost example is the triptych known variously as ''Țigăncile'' ("The Gypsies") or ''Bucuria vieții'' ("The Joy of Life"). Painted in 1911, but unfortunately destroyed in the war, the piece measured roughly by and, like many of her works, portrayed women in a lush natural setting. As
Petru Comarnescu __NOTOC__ Petru Comarnescu (23 November 1905 – 27 November 1970) was a Romanian literary and art critic and translator. Born in Iași into a family that was related to the metropolitan bishop , he studied law at the University of Bucharest (degr ...
put it, although "their faces are troubled by anxiety, trials, suffering, suggesting to us these states of mind, the Gypsies' bodies seem like the fruits and flowers that are, not by chance, found around them. These bodies, which have nothing of vulgar sensuality, but are full of beauty, cleanliness, health, carry the warmth and aspirations of life." Other compositions of a similar nature are ''Adam si Eva'' ("Adam and Eve", 1912), ''Maternitate'' ("Motherhood", 1913), and ''Înțelept indian'' ("Indian Sage", 1932). Cuțescu-Storck also left a rich body of landscapes in ink and wash, several of which can be seen in the Storck Museum. Cuțescu-Storck's artistic activity was closely intertwined with her feminism. Besides her pioneering role as a female professor, in 1916, Cuțescu-Storck,
Olga Greceanu Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russi ...
and Nina Arbore, the so-called ''Grup al celor trei doamne'' ("Group of three women") founded the Association of Female Painters and Sculptors", Grup al celor trei doamne. The periodic salons organized by the group gave public exposure to the works of numerous artists in the period between the two World Wars.


Distinctions

* Gold Medal and Grand Prize at the
1929 Barcelona International Exposition The 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (also 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition, or Expo 1929, officially in Spanish language, Spanish: ''Exposición Internacional de Barcelona 1929'') was the second World's fair, World Fair to be held in ...
* Dame (equivalent of a Knight) of the
Order of Civil Merit The Royal Order of Civil Merit (; Abbreviation, Abbr.: OMC) is a knighthood and one of the three preeminent Order of merit, orders of merit bestowed by the Kingdom of Spain, alongside the Order of Charles III (established in 1771) and the Order ...
, Spain (1930) * Knight of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, France (1933) * Gold Medal,
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne The ''Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne'' (International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life) was held from 25 May to 25 November 1937 in Paris, France. Both the Palais de Chaillot, housing the Mu ...
, (Paris, 1937) * Mistress Emerita of Art, 1957, for her entire artistic achievement.


Authored books

* ''Fresca unei vieți'', Bucovina, Editura Torouțiu, 1943 * ''O viață dăruită artei'', Editura Meridiane, 1966 * ''Fresca unei vieți'', Editura Vremea, București, 2006


Referenced in books

* Leon Thevenin: ''Cecile Coutesco-Storck, sa vie et son oevre'', Quatre Chemins, 1932 * Angela Vrancea: ''Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck'', Editura de Stat pentru Literatură și Artă, 1957 * Gabriela Storck și Petre Comarnescu: ''Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck: Expozitie Retrospectiva'', Uniunea Artiștilor Plastici, 1959 * Marin Mihalache: ''Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck'', Editura Meridiane, București, 1969 * Liliana Vârban, Ionel Ionița, Dan Vasiliu: ''Casa Storck – Muzeul Storck'', Muzeul Municipiului București, 2005 * Jeremy Howard: ''East European Art'', Oxford University Press, 2006 * Shona Kallestrup: ''Art and Design in Romania 1866–1945'', Columbia, Eastern European Monographs, 2006 * Aurora Liiceanu: ''Patru femei, patru povești'', Editura Polirom, 2010


In memoriam

In June 2010, from the initiative of the rector of the Economic Studies Academy of Bucharest, Gheorghe Roșca, and of the mayor of Câineni, Ion Nicolae, a commemorative plaque was placed in the village Râul Vadului. The
Frederic and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Art Museum The Frederic and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Art Museum () is a modern art museum located in Bucharest, Romania, dedicated to the artists Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck. The museum is located in the house designed by the artists with ...
is a modern art museum located in Bucharest, dedicated to the painter and her husband. In
Balchik Balchik ( ; , ) is a List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, town and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is in Dobrich Province, 35 km southeast of Dobrich and 42 km no ...
, now in Bulgaria, the Storck family owned a seafront mansion known as
Villa Storck Villa Storck (, ) is a historic stone mansion situated on the Black Sea promenade of Balchik, Dobrich Province, northeastern Bulgaria. The villa was co-designed by its first owners, the Romanian sculptor Frederic Storck (1872–1942) and his wife ...
.


References


Bibliography

* Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck: ''Fresca unei vieți'', Bucovina, Editura Torouțiu, 1943 * Gabriela Storck si Petre Comărnescu: ''Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck: Expozitie Retrospectiva'', Uniunea Artiștilor Plastici, 1959 * Marin Mihalache: ''Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck'', Editura Meridiane, București, 1969 * Liliana Vârban, Ionel Ionița, Dan Vasiliu: ''Casa Storck – Muzeul Storck'', Muzeul Municipiului București, 2005 * Shona Kallestrup: ''Art and Design in Romania 1866–1945'', Columbia, Eastern European Monographs, 2006


External links


Biography of Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck
* http://metropotam.ro/La-zi/2007/01/art7087336963-Muzee-din-Bucuresti-Casa-Storck/ * http://artistiromani.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/cecilia-cutescu-storck-1879-1969/ * http://bucharest.romaniaexplorer.com/page_10865.html

1 februarie 2011, Eliza Zdru, ''Adevărul'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Cutescu-Storck, Cecilia 1969 deaths 1879 births Romanian painters Romanian women painters Romanian feminists Școala Centrală National College alumni