Composition With Romanian Motifs 

Corneliu Michailescu’s ‘Composition With Romanian Motifs’ uses oil on canvas to present a vibrant depiction of Romanian folk life. Immediately, the painting strikes you with its energetic composition and rich colour palette. Geometric shapes create a dynamic sense of movement, almost as if the scene is viewed through a kaleidoscope. Michailescu departs from traditional representation, and focuses on structuring the painting with colour and form. Notice how he fractures space into angular planes of blues, greens, and earthy tones, reminiscent of Cubist techniques. These planes do not simply represent objects; they construct a visual language, which speaks to the essence of Romanian culture, distilled through a modernist lens. Note, for instance, how the artist plays with perspective and scale to depict the figures and landscape. The composition invites us to question fixed notions of space and representation. The painting should be viewed as an exploration of cultural identity through the formal elements of painting, revealing how art can reflect and reshape cultural memory.