During
a recent trip to Sofia, Bulgaria, I looked out for references to Romania. I saw hardly any, which surprised me as
Bulgaria and Romania are neighbours, but I got the impression there is little
love lost between the two. I was
certainly surprised by a comment made during a day trip to Rila Monastery. The painted external walls reminded me of
pictures I had seen of the painted churches of Bucovina. When I asked the guide about the prevalence
of such churches in the Balkans he was dismissive of the comparison with
Romania, which I think he saw as demeaning to Bulgaria. He then claimed, apropos of nothing, that
Romania was a Catholic country. As over
80% of the Romanian population identify as Eastern Orthodox, compared to only
about 5% as Catholic (fewer than Protestants of various denominations) his
statement was either supremely ignorant or intentionally misleading. Either way it was irrelevant to my question.
I
did find references to Romania, though I had to look hard. One was in Krystal Garden Park, opposite the
giant head of Stefan Stambolov. Here,
surprisingly, was a series of information boards on Bulgarian studies in
various countries, one devoted to Romania and Moldova (shown above). Fortunately the text on all the boards was in
English as well as Bulgarian albeit the former was abbreviated. The Romania and Moldova one notes the establishment
of the first Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Bucharest in
1891, and most of the panel is devoted to a list of those Romanians and
Moldovans who have worked on Bulgarian culture.
The Institute of Ethnic Studies in Chișinău is highlighted as another
centre for research, and the Society of Bulgarian Studies is included as an
important institution in the field.
There
were more references to Romania in Sofia’s splendid National Gallery, which has
a few works by Romanian artists among its collection, if fewer than I
expected. I recorded those I saw, though
I cannot guarantee this is a complete list.
The titles are taken from the caption cards. Of the 12 pieces, ten were paintings and two
were sculptures. Half of the 12 were by
Corneliu Baba (two of which are on loan), two were by Ion Gheorghiu, two by Ion
Pacea, and one each by Zoe Băicoianu and Ada Geo Medrea:
Corneliu
Baba (1906-97)
– 1907, 1951 (triptych)
– The 1907 Uprising, 1951
– Harlequin, 1970
– The Mad King, 1977
– Maternity, 1979
– Self-portrait, 1981
Zoe
Băicoianu (1910-87)
– Woman Bathing, 1940s (sculpture)
Ion
Gheorghiu (1929-2001)
– Hanging Gardens, 1973
– Hanging Gardens IV, 1978
Ada
Geo Medrea (1917-92)
– Nestinarka, 1950s (sculpture)
Ion
Pacea (1924-99)
– The Red Cupboard, 1976
– The Painter’s Tools, no date
The
standout is Baba’s large-scale triptych 1907,
on loan from a private collection. Its
title alludes to the peasants’ revolt of that year which was brutally crushed. The three elements are combined pictorially
with a common horizon, and a brooding sky conveys menace and a sense of doom. The larger central panel shows a procession
of determined-looking peasants wielding agricultural tools as weapons. On the left-hand panel a couple are working
in a field; the man is rising to his feet and looks as if he might be about to
join the demonstrators. In the distance
a man on a horse surveys the scene. On
the right-hand panel two women are surrounded by dead men. One is standing, imploring heaven, the other
crouches over a corpse, her hand covering her mouth in horror. It is a powerful work encapsulating the
heroism and tragedy in a single scene. The 1907 Uprising from the same year is
a smaller work with a similar composition to the tryptich’s central panel, and
may be a preliminary study. It too is on
loan from a private collection.
