Ştefan Dimitrescu

Infobox Artist
bgcolour =
name = Ştefan Dimitrescu


imagesize = 200px
caption = Self portrait
birthname =
birthdate = birth date|1886|1|18|mf=y
location = Huşi
deathdate = death date and age|1933|5|22|1886|1|18|mf=y
deathplace = Iaşi
nationality = Romanian
field = painting, drawing
training = Gheorghe Popovici, Emanoil Bardasare
movement = Post-impressionism
works =
patrons =
influenced by =
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awards =

Ştefan Dimitrescu (January 18, 1886 – May 22, 1933) was a Romanian Post-impressionist painter and draftsman.

Biography

Born in Huşi into a modest family, he completed his primary and secondary studies in his hometown. In 1902, deciding to follow his passion for music, he left for Iaşi, where he took cello classes at the Iaşi Conservatory.

In summer of 1903, Dimitrescu entered the National School of Fine Arts in the city, studying in the same class as Nicolae Tonitza; the two studied under Gheorghe Popovici and Emanoil Bardasare. After graduation, Dimitrescu painted murals for the Orthodox churches in Agăş and Asău (Bacău County). Between 1912 and 1913, he studied in Paris, at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, during which time he was attracted to Impressionism. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.201]

Drafted into the Romanian Army at the start of the Romanian Campaign of World War I, Dimitrescu was profoundly touched by the experience, and began painting tragic pieces that documented the misery brought by the conflict. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.201-202] Like his friend Tonitza, he began exploring social themes, such as queuing and the effects of bombardments. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.202]

In 1917, along with the painters Camil Ressu, Iosif Iser, Marius Bunescu and the sculptors Dimitrie Paciurea, Cornel Medrea, Ion Jalea and Oscar Han, he founded the "Art of Romania" association in their Iaşi refuge. In 1926, Dimitrescu, with Oscar Han, Francisc Şirato, and Nicolae Tonitza, established "Grupul celor patru" ("The Group of Four"). [Şorban, p.75]

He became a teacher at the Iaşi National School of Fine Arts in 1927, and, during the next year, he was named its headmaster (a position he held until his death). Towards the end of his life, Dimitrescu began expanding his palette to cover more somber colors, while exploring compositions in which the background was stripped of details and usually of a dominant white. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.203-204]

He died in Iaşi and he was buried at the Eternitatea Cemetery.

Art

Most of Dimitrescu's paintings take inspiration mainly from the life of simple folk, and especially from that of Romanian peasants and miners; [Drăguţ "et al.", p.202-203] they attempt to portray Romanian traditions and way of life, drawing on his encounters with both Byzantine art and the work of Paul Cézanne. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.201]

Part of his art (between 1926 and 1933) was inspired by his travels to Dobruja, and have been considered to be the most accomplished synthesis between his craft as a draftsman and his art as a painter. [Drăguţ "et al.", p.204]

Many of his works are exhibited in Bârlad (at the Vasile Pârvan Museum), Bucharest (the National Museum of Art of Romania and the Zambaccian Museum), Cluj-Napoca (Cluj Art Museum) and in private collections outside Romania (in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany).

Gallery

"Click on an image to view it enlarged."

Notes

References

*Vasile Drăguţ, Vasile Florea, Dan Grigorescu, Marin Mihalache, "Pictura românească în imagini", Editura Meridiane, Bucharest, 1970
*Raul Şorban, "Nicolae Tonitza", Editura Meridiane, Bucharest, 1965

External links

*ro icon [http://www.gallerya.ro/artist_gal.php?id=1246&language=0 Gallery A Entry]
*ro icon [http://recomandari.artline.ro/1_586_Crezul_unei_vieti___Stefan_Dimitrescu_8623.html "Ştefan Dimitrescu - a life dedicated to painting"]
*ro icon [http://www.evenimentul.ro/articol/pictorul-stefan-dimitrescu-8211.html "Ştefan Dimitrescu - 70 years since his death"]