159. Wild Hair [2006]

Ştefan Câlţia

1942, Braşov

Selling price

EUR 36.180

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Session

Tue, 21 October 2025 17:30

Within his works, Câlția assumes the role of a storyteller in images and assigns a narrative function to his painting. His inclination towards values, tradition, and divinity is sometimes transcribed into one of his favorite themes such as flight or birds. He leans towards unusual choices, with small-sized characters, whom he places in a vast space. In executing his scenes, he reserves for his protagonists a central place on the canvas and allows them to float in an infinite universe for observing all the action that is to take place. He sometimes paints in black and white and emphasizes the brushstroke and charcoal. He works meticulously and establishes a clear geometry over the space and characters. He creates certain typologies that become the leitmotifs of his creation, regardless of the chosen theme: the woman with flowers, the journey, the birds or the traveler are understood both as decor and as a way of connecting with the celestial environment. Besides these themes that he approaches, the theme of the landscape, nature is also found. In these scenes, he wants to capture the connection between earth and cosmos. Thus, the nature that Câlția represents captures what is real, the organized sensation between earth and sky. Regarding the work at hand, it was created in 2006 and it foregrounds a landscape of early winter, with a wild pear tree. The work focuses on capturing this pear landscape. We notice that it has lost from the beauty of the blooming crown during spring and summer and that like the cloudy winter background, the tree is also highlighted summarily, only with branches, without leaves and without the freshness of the raw green or the colored flowers. The background of the representation is a cold one, rendered only in a few shades of black and grey, in case of the trunk, cloudy sky or the ground. Comparing to his other works in which he also focuses on the landscape, a similar work is "Flowering Pear" dated from 2012, but which focuses on capturing a blooming pear. As for the universal symbolism of the tree, it represents growth, power, individuality, wisdom, and the interconnection of life. It unites the sky, the earth, and the underworld, symbolizing continuity, the connection between the stages of life, and the deep connection between all beings. Thus, each tree is unique in the way it develops its roots and branches, symbolizing individuality. Regarding the symbolism of the pear, it is associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, often illustrated offering a golden apple or a pear. This representation symbolizes love, beauty, but also a symbol of divine attraction and fertility. In Chinese culture, the pear, in particular, is considered a symbol of eternal life and longevity. In northern traditions and Celtic mythology, the pear tree is seen as a sacred element, associated with magic and wisdom. Thus, the diversity of these meanings highlights the cultural capacity of the pear to transcend boundaries and adopt new values and interpretations, depending on the context. Whether it's about fertility, longevity, immortality, or knowledge, the pear remains a powerful symbol in human mythology and symbolism, illustrating the depth of the connection between people and nature, demonstrating the enduring resonance of these ancient symbols.

References

GUTA, Adrian; PAVEL, Amelia, "Stefan Câltia", Possible Gallery, Bucharest, 2004. "Stories with Stefan Câltia", UNArte Publishing House, Bucharest, 2013.

Dimensions

width 120 cm, height 120 cm

Description

ulei pe pânză, signed and dated left bottom, in black, in monogram, "Câlția, 2006"

Research information

The artwork was part of the exhibition "Transylvanian voyages", National Museum Brukenthal, Sibiu, 2006. The artwork was part of the exhibition "The Wing Seller", Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca, 2006.

Dating

2006

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