Early Winter at Cenade 1980

Viorel Marginean made this painting, "Early Winter at Cenade," and it’s like stepping into a dream of landscape, each brushstroke a thought, a feeling, a memory. The painting surface has this fantastic give and take; there's thin washes and then these juicy daubs of color, like little explosions of autumn clinging on for dear life amidst the snow. The color palette feels both restrained and exuberant, like a secret language whispered between the reds and greens, the browns and whites. Check out the way he builds up the texture on the trees; it’s almost sculptural, giving a real sense of volume and depth. You can almost feel the chill in the air and the crunch of snow underfoot. It reminds me of the landscapes of Milton Avery in its simplification and the way it embraces color as a form of emotional expression, but Marginean definitely has his own voice. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is about seeing, feeling, and sharing a vision.