Le Colisée 1987

Horia Damian made "Le Colisée" without specifying a date, using delicate washes of paint to conjure this architectural form. I love how the Colosseum emerges from a haze, a structure built up through layers of subtle marks. The materiality here is key. The paint seems thin, almost watery, allowing the surface beneath to breathe. Look closely, and you can see how Damian used these transparent layers to create depth and shadow. There’s a fragility to the image, a sense of something ancient and monumental rendered with the lightest touch. Notice the repetitive horizontal lines beneath the Colosseum. They seem to be receding into the distance, creating an illusion of space. This piece reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, where everyday objects are transformed through subtle variations in tone and color. Like Morandi, Damian finds beauty in simplicity, inviting us to slow down and contemplate the quiet poetry of form. Ultimately, art, like memory, is about embracing ambiguity.