The painting “Peasant from Rucăr (Suzana)” by Nicolae Grigorescu became the star of the Spring Auction organized by Artmark, being awarded with an amount almost three times more than the initial estimate.
The painting “Peasant from Rucăr (Suzana)” by Nicolae Grigorescu was the piece that attracted the most attention of collectors at the Spring Auction organized on Tuesday, March 24, by Artmark.
Included in a lot estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 euros, the oil on wood far exceeded expectations, being finally awarded for 141,000 euros, the highest amount recorded at the event.
The work appears reproduced in the painter’s monograph made by Alexandru Vlahuță, under the name “Susana” and, although the exact identity of the model is not known, her features also inspired other portraits created by Nicolae Grigorescu.
In “Ţărăncuță din Rucăr”, the artist captures the young woman’s figure on a dark brown background, meant to focus attention on the expression and the details of folk wear. The yellowish-white fairy tale, intensely lit, becomes the center of the composition and emphasizes the simplicity and decency of the model, while the red beads, a recurring element in the portraits of peasants signed by Grigorescu, add a vibrant and symbolic touch of femininity.
The construction of the portrait, made of broad and volumetric touches, places the work in the mature stage of the artist’s creation, after 1890, a period in which Grigorescu synthesized the rural universe in a poetic and idealized vision of national identity, according to the description of the auction house.
What else are collectors looking for?
Other important works auctioned in the same session included “Attack from Smârdan” (1903) by Emilian Lăzărescu, sold for 9,500 euros, two works by Gheorghe Petrașcu, “Lucretia privind gravuri”, awarded for 35,000 euros, and “Nude with Fan (Lucretia)”, sold for 31,000 euros, as well as “Interior de atelier” by Ion Țuculescu and “Margine de sat” by Ion Andreescu, each awarded 40,000 euros.
Also, all the works signed by Sabin Bălaşa included in the auction were sold, with prices ranging between 46,000 euros for “Cosmogonie” (1997) and 9,000 euros for “Liniște” (1978).
At the same time, two paintings by Nicolae Tonitza, “Child’s Head (Melancholy)” and “Bouquet of Spring Flowers”, were awarded for 26,000 and 20,000 euros, respectively.
