Constanta Art Museum

„Turkish Cemetery at the Sea”

Alexandru SATMARI (1870–1933)

The Dobrogea landscape was one of the sources of inspiration that determined the painter Alexandru Satmari to evolve towards a personal artistic vision. It seems that the painter was the first to notice the Mediterranean atmosphere and the extraordinary light from Balchik. In 1915 he persuaded Queen Mary to visit Balchik, and a decade later he executed the architectural plans for the construction of the Queen’s Castle in Balchik, also known as the “Nest of Peace” or “Lonely Nest”. The painting depicts a peaceful landscape, in which the hills and the sea seem to embrace, to define the emotions experienced when two colossi meet. Although dull, the hills hide a rich history. The idea of history, of the passage of time, is suggested by the artist and by the representation of the cemetery, a place where memory and eternity hover in the air. The female character, who seems to be advancing towards the viewer, on a path drawn among the tombstones, seems to be the only “intruder” who can endanger the peace and balance of the composition. The painting exudes a strong emotion, being an expression of the balance between life and death, between height and the abyss, showing the maturity of the painter’s style.

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