98. Still Life with Fruits [1930]

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98. Still Life with Fruits [1930]

Francisc Şirato

1877, Craiova - 1953, Bucureşti

Estimate:

EUR 15.000 - 25.000

Sold

EUR 20.000

References

Catalogue of the exhibition "Francisc Șirato", The R.P.R. Museum of Art, Bucharest, 1965. DRĂGUȚ, Vasile, "Fr. Șirato", State Publishing House for Literature and Art, Bucharest, 1956.

oil on cardboard, 49 x 38.5 cm, 49 Ã 38,5 cm, signed and dated bottom right, with brown, "Șirato, (1)930"

He makes his debut as lithography author, for social satire themed magazines. He continues his career path as a drawer, finding his own graphic shape, instinctively manifested by exposing the vices of the ruling class in a caricature style. He also asserts himself as a painter after his breakthrough in "Arta Română" and after his personal exhibition at "Maison d’Art", in 1921. He admires Derain and Cézanne, from whom he acquires a somehow constructivist attitude. He would advocate for merging chromatic force and geometric shapes. If for his canvases bearing a national theme, he appears as a visionary realist who adopts a decorative and monumental style, for interior scenes and still life paintings he focuses mainly on chromatic experiments and the rendering of light. He is concerned with the way light fragments shapes, and the way it modifies the shades of colour. He rejects flat Naturalism and paints in a Realistic manner, by keeping accurate proportions. The strong, incisive line, typical for drawer and graphic artist Șirato can still be slightly distinguished in his painting as well. He demonstrates his artistic thrift and resoluteness by adhering to "Grupul celor patru" ("The Group of Four"), alongside whom he would organise a few highly important exhibitions, certainly marked by a modern plastic vision. He works hard and is very pretentious regarding his own work. His self-critical attitude would manifest by destroying the works that the artist does not consider as being good enough. He would also get noticed as a teacher, but also as a critic. He researches the problems that art poses, and he drafts theories about how Romanian art could be developed, demonstrating truly visionary qualities. He remains authentic and interested in manifesting and exploring his own style, even though the true recognition of his plastic qualities would come to fruition almost one decade later.

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