Born in Tulcea, Alexandru Ciucurencu began his artistic training here, in his home city, at the beginning being the student of Mihail Paraschiv. It was under his guidance that the future master learned the basics and took his first steps in learning art history and identifying the elements of an original and mature style. Afterwards he left for Bucharest, where he studied at the Fine Arts School in 1921 - 1928, under G.D. Mirea and Camil Ressu, who helped him to discover mainly French art, which would mark his manner and choice of subjects.
Eventually, Ciucurencu left for Paris, like most of the other great Romanian artists did or will do, and enrolled at the same Academie Julian, working in his spare time in the studio of Andre Lhote. During the first years of the Communist regime he remained an important and respected artist and was even elected a profesor at the "Nicolae Grigorescu" Art Institute in Bucharest. Over the course of his lengthy career he received several commisions and prizes : in 1930 he was a winner of the Oficial Salon, in 1955 he won the prestigious State Prize, in 1956 the Ion Andreescu Prize, given by the Academy. Some of his works were bought by the Romanian state, while others were in the collections of important Romanian and foreign specialists. The artist died in Bucharest in 1977.
Today, he is one of the most important Romanian artists of all times, as his works continue to be sold at auctions with impressive prizes, often setting and breaking new records for this kind of creations. Very influential in his life time, he was considered a living master and an inspiration for younger generations.
Photo : www.lefo.ro
2008-06-03
