Henri Catargi
Encyclopedia
Henri Catargi was a renowned Romania
n painter
from Braşov
.
He settled in Paris in 1919 and until 1922 he studied art at the Académie Julian
and Academie Ranson
, under several important teachers of his time such as Maurice Denis
and Edouard Vuillard
. At that time, he worked in an intense manner by himself, and discovered at the Louvre Museum the works of Poussin
, his main influence at that time, which he copied and discovered time and time again. At first, his themes were fairly limited, mainly landscapes, while his style was in no small part marked by the Romantic traditions. In time his style developed to a much more modern one, even creating an impression of three dimensions in his works. It was Catargi's way of adapting to the new art, in a much more realistic fashion.
During this time frame the main interest for Henri Catargi was color, with all of its nuances, although at first he mainly used brown, ochre, white, grey, green and dark red, with several variations. A rather limited palette of colors, but it made his works all the more interesting. Later, after 1930, he started incorporating more colors in his compositions and also began to emphasize important elements with thick, black lines - an interesting idea that built several "attention landmarks" in his paintings. By putting something in the front of the whole ensemble, Catargi managed to surprise and impress.
He also produced an impressive number of sketches and drawings, in ink or crayon, as well as in watercolor, mainly landscapes and female figures, at the same time becoming much more popular both in his country and in Europe. He died in 1976 in Bucharest, leaving behind one of the richest selection of works ever put together by a Romanian artists.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
from Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
.
Biography
Born on December 6, 1894 in Bucharest, Henri Catargi would eventually become one of the top Romanian artists, a major influence in the national 20th century world of arts and an inspiration for many young generations of Romanian painters, as the one who tried to bring the European - and especially French - influences into traditional Romanian art. But if many before and after him did just that, Catargi managed to create an original and profoundly personal style, easily recognizable.He settled in Paris in 1919 and until 1922 he studied art at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
and Academie Ranson
Académie Ranson
The Académie Ranson was founded in Paris by the French painter Paul Ranson , who himself studied at the Académie Julian, in 1908.- History :...
, under several important teachers of his time such as Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis was a French painter and writer, and a member of the Symbolist and Les Nabis movements. His theories contributed to the foundations of cubism, fauvism, and abstract art.-Childhood and education:...
and Edouard Vuillard
Édouard Vuillard
Jean-Édouard Vuillard was a French painter and printmaker associated with the Nabis.-Early years and education:...
. At that time, he worked in an intense manner by himself, and discovered at the Louvre Museum the works of Poussin
Poussin
Poussin refers to:*Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian mathematician*Charles-Louis-Joseph-Xavier de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian geologist and mineralogist, father of Charles Jean*Nicolas Poussin , French painter...
, his main influence at that time, which he copied and discovered time and time again. At first, his themes were fairly limited, mainly landscapes, while his style was in no small part marked by the Romantic traditions. In time his style developed to a much more modern one, even creating an impression of three dimensions in his works. It was Catargi's way of adapting to the new art, in a much more realistic fashion.
During this time frame the main interest for Henri Catargi was color, with all of its nuances, although at first he mainly used brown, ochre, white, grey, green and dark red, with several variations. A rather limited palette of colors, but it made his works all the more interesting. Later, after 1930, he started incorporating more colors in his compositions and also began to emphasize important elements with thick, black lines - an interesting idea that built several "attention landmarks" in his paintings. By putting something in the front of the whole ensemble, Catargi managed to surprise and impress.
He also produced an impressive number of sketches and drawings, in ink or crayon, as well as in watercolor, mainly landscapes and female figures, at the same time becoming much more popular both in his country and in Europe. He died in 1976 in Bucharest, leaving behind one of the richest selection of works ever put together by a Romanian artists.
Paintings (selection)
- Port de plaisance, oil/canvas, 33x46 cm
- Paysage méditerranéen, oil/canvas, 53x64 cm
- Paysage de bord de mer, oil/canvas, 53x64 cm
- Paysage marin, oil/canvas, 54x65 cm