The Sea at Techirghiol 1935

Curator: Gheorghe Petrascu, known for his landscapes and seascapes, created "The Sea at Techirghiol" in 1935, rendered with oil paint in an impasto technique. Editor: Right away, it hits you like a humid breeze, doesn't it? It’s more a feeling than a scene, a sense of salty air and restless water all rendered with a kind of delicious roughness. Curator: Delicious is an interesting word choice! Petrascu uses thick, textured strokes to depict the rocky coastline. The light seems diffused, almost dreamlike. It reminds us, formally, of expressionist and romanticist landscapes. Editor: For me it’s as if Petrascu didn't just paint the sea, he wrestled with it, playfully, passionately. It’s the kind of work where you can practically feel the artist’s hand, that juicy impasto work does that. Does the roughness perhaps betray turmoil in the artist's life at the time? I read somewhere about an existential crisis during the 30s for many artists... Curator: While it is possible Petrascu reflected inner struggles, his technique reflects an understanding of material presence: how the pigment itself can become the subject, breaking down form into pure color and texture. Think about the layering of strokes; short, daub-like applications that almost vibrate on the canvas. Editor: Yes, it's true, there is no hiding from Petrascu's formal handling. But it’s difficult not to imbue those roiling brushstrokes with feeling. That rock formation almost looks like it's struggling against the elements! Ultimately this landscape evokes raw emotion and primal forces... Curator: Perhaps it is not a perfect binary? Raw emotion expressed *through* a sophisticated material understanding? Thank you for these reflections! Editor: My pleasure. The pleasure’s all mine! I may come back and stare some more.