Pansies 1937

Alexandru Ciucurencu made this painting of Pansies using oils, and it really feels like he was having a conversation with the canvas. The painting's surface is alive with visible brushstrokes, like each dab of color is a little thought. Look how the blues of the background are dragged vertically, contrasting with the circular dabs of the flowers. These marks create a subtle tension, like the push and pull of different ideas coming together. Especially the way Ciucurencu lays down the yellows of the pansies, each petal distinct yet blending into the next. It reminds me of Matisse, especially the way he uses color to create space and light. But Ciucurencu has a rawer edge, a kind of directness that invites you to see the world through his eyes, one brushstroke at a time.