Evening at Balcic 1940

Editor: Francisc Sirato's "Evening at Balcic," painted in 1940. The colours feel so bright and cheerful; it almost hides the fact it was painted during such a tumultuous time. What strikes you most about it? Curator: You know, it’s funny how a splash of colour can defy the grey clouds of history. For me, it’s the intimacy—that feeling of stepping into a private moment in a distant land. Can’t you almost feel the warm breeze coming off the Black Sea? It whispers tales of sailors and ancient cities. Editor: It does have that vibe. I love how loose the brushstrokes are, too; it’s very immediate. But what's Balcic like as a place? Is it just a backdrop? Curator: Balcic was then a bit of an artist colony. Queen Marie of Romania had a palace there. Sirato clearly fell for its rustic charm. Notice the deliberate informality – it’s almost a snapshot, an instant captured in oil paint. Does it feel romantic, perhaps even sentimental, to you? Editor: A bit, yes. All that light… But the solitary figure hints at something else, maybe a quiet longing? Curator: Precisely! And the way the architecture nestles into the landscape. Sirato isn’t just painting a place, but an emotion, a memory… a piece of his heart left in Balcic. The world felt so dark back then, but this painting chooses light, warmth, and hope. What a defiant, tender act! Editor: It’s amazing how much you can read into one scene. I’ll definitely think differently about impressionism from now on. Curator: And hopefully a little differently about the power of artists to reshape reality with color and imagination! It certainly made me want to chase some sunsets.