Promenade (The White Umbrella) 

Dumitru Ghiatza created 'Promenade (The White Umbrella)' using oil paints. It’s a composition dominated by earth tones, where the ochre and browns of the foreground contrast gently with the soft blues of the sea in the distance. Notice how the figure is placed in the foreground, yet it's the building on the right that firmly anchors the composition, drawing our eye along a visual pathway from the figure to the sea. Ghiatza's brushstrokes are loose, almost impressionistic, giving a sense of immediacy. The white umbrella acts as a focal point, disrupting the colour harmony and creating a visual tension. The painting invites us to consider how Ghiatza uses form and colour not just to depict a scene, but to create a semiotic interplay. The umbrella isn't merely an object, but a sign that destabilizes the landscape's serenity. It invites us to question the conventional relationship between figure and background. It suggests that the true subject might not be the promenade itself, but the act of seeing and interpreting the world around us.