Constanta Art Museum

Nicolae Grigorescu, Flori de nalbă, ulei pe carton, 300 x 170

„Mother and child”

Camil RESSU (1880–1962)

The visit to the mansion of the collector Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești, located in Vlaici, in a quiet natural setting, gave Camil Ressu, after his return to the country from his studies in Paris, the discovery of his passion for representing Romanian classical scenes, with peasants, the ,,Hora” dance and rich plains. The painting depicts a woman dressed in traditional Romanian clothes, holding her child in her arms, in a quiet, village setting. She wears a white scarf on her head, a symbol of her humility and purity. Her gaze is on the viewer, with a gentleness characteristic of authentic peasants. The child in her arms smiles, seeming distracted by something happening outside the stage represented by the artist. His smile is an expression of the beauty of the quiet and peaceful life of village families, a lifestyle often praised by the artist in his paintings. The cross in the background is the expression of the Christian spirit that characterizes the authentic Romanian peasant, who lives in a community with well-established values and beliefs.