Woman on the Seashore 1937

Gheorghe Petrascu painted 'Woman on the Seashore’ with oil on canvas using thick impasto. I find it endearing how Petrascu is not afraid to let the process remain visible. Here, the materiality of the paint is very present. Look at how Petrascu builds up the surface with layers of thick paint, creating a textured and tactile quality. It's almost as if you can feel the brushstrokes and the artist's hand moving across the canvas, a dance between control and spontaneity. Notice the way the colours are applied, not blended perfectly, but rather juxtaposed and layered to create a sense of depth and luminosity. I find traces of Impressionism in Petrascu’s style here, and a reference to artists like Manet, in his loose brushstrokes, and interest in capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. Like all good paintings, it invites us to linger and question, rather than providing easy answers.