The “Ion Jalea” Museum

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

„Father’s Portrait”

Plaster, 77 x 40 x 40 cm

Ion JALEA (1887–1983)

The portraits made by Ion Jalea introduce the viewer to a complex stylistic and morphological universe. Regardless of the portrait he creates – of a peasant woman, of a historical or cultural figure of the time, of his mother or father, or even as regards the self-portrait, the preoccupation with study and the absence of any artificial idealization indicate the artistic creed of a sculptor who knows his craft well.

The “Father’s Portrait”, made in plaster, is a work of reference, emblematic of the sculptor’s portraiture, through which the artist proposes one of the most representative monumental portraits.

The broad forehead, the penetrating and impudent gaze, the wrinkles that furrow his forehead and cheeks remind us of the authentic Romanian peasant and challenge us to admire the psychology of an old man tried by life, by social hardships, but who kept his dignity and agility and reached wisdom.