Lăutari 

Curator: I’m struck by the melancholy radiating from Iosif Iser's painting, "Lăutari." The somber expressions of the musicians almost vibrate off the canvas. Editor: Yes, the materiality is interesting. These brushstrokes aren't trying to create a photorealistic image; instead, they're laying down colors and textures. Look closely at the musician holding the cobza: the lute's body is built up of thickly applied paint, almost a sculptural form in itself. Curator: "Lăutari" refers to traditional Romanian folk musicians. These musicians weren’t simply performers, they were keepers of oral tradition, playing at weddings, funerals, and celebrations. There's a whole history of social and political power embedded in that role. Editor: The painting technique supports your reading, especially when you compare this work to Iser's more famous watercolors and prints. With his oil paintings, it is his way to ennoble folk art and craft, elevating their position, perhaps commenting on labor in the art world? Curator: Possibly. We also must acknowledge the complexities around representation here. Who is painting whom, and for what audience? Are we seeing an authentic depiction, or is Iser playing into romanticized tropes about Roma musicians? Editor: I agree. Context is key here, and one could delve into the availability and quality of the materials that Iser could obtain to paint. Also, it is very possible that Iser created the portrait and added the background much later, since his artistic output in this time could be considered an assembly line: many, many paintings in oil and tempera, usually rehashes, most probably with an assistant at hand. Curator: That assembly-line mode of production and the way that complicates our notion of singular genius are so worth keeping in mind, as are the ways in which it brings Iser closer to craft! The act of repeating allows the artist to consider and refine technique, of course. Editor: This image shows more than meets the eye, and that is quite fascinating! Curator: Definitely. This glimpse into a specific cultural tradition, with all its nuances and social layers, leaves a powerful resonance.