Romanian painter, best remembered today for his landscapes, as well as the director of the National Museum of Art in Bucharest and later as the director of the Anastase Simu Museum, Marius Bunescu was one of the best artists of 20th century Romania. A mature and strong voice, highly influential especially upon younger artists who valued landscape painting, he always tried to impose a different style of painting.
Born on May 15th 1881 in Caracal, he began drawing and painting in his early school years, and despite the natural errors and weaknesses, this first tries already proved a native talent that was bound to evolve in a positive manner. He was inspired mainly by the rural universe and especially by the wild landscapes around him, a theme which he will remain very fond of much later. Due to money shortage, he had to abandon his studies at just 12 years old and began working as a clerk, a menial job with a meagre pay, yet Mariu Bunescu never abandoned his art, even it it meant that he painted and drew only in his free time.
After working for a short while with Remus Iliescu, an important architect, he moved to Dobrogea on a new job and met here Dimitrie Hirlescu, co-founded the “Cultura” magazine and organised several artistic events and presentations. It was a time of experiments and tries, and in 1906, already a sure eoungh young artist, Bunescu moved to Munich. Here he studied for six years, perfecting his drawing style and discovering the works of famous masters.
In 1911 and 1912 he presented several of his works at the Official Saloon, with moderate success, considering his age, and left for Paris, where he spent a lot of time visiting the Louvre, making copies and drawing exercises, trying to amass as much training as he possibly could in a short while. He also worked in artists studios and became acustomed to the great names of the era. Back in Romania, he also worked in Constanta, painting landscapes.
After fighting in WWI and working as a draftsman, he lost several of his earlier works – destroyed in the war – yet continued working at an even higher pace, so in 1919, just after the terrible war, had his first solo exhibition, to great critical acclaim. Over the nerxt years he would have several solo exhibition, presented his works at the official saloons and, in 1923, became the director of the Simu Museum. It was just a first step, for a little later Marius Bunescu was appointed the director of the National Gallery at the National Art Museum in Bucharest. He gave his best in this position, supervising everything, with a care and dedication which could only come from an artist.
He had the opportunity of travelling several times abroad, to countries such as France, Holland, Tukey, Italy, Germany, USSR and so on. He died in 1971.
Marius Bunescu was a prolific and interesting artist, being admired especially for the many series of seascapes and landscapes inspired by the lands of Dobrogea, the part of Romania that seemed to be much more to his liking. Although a strong French influence marks his mature style, his manner is remarkable unique and strong, both due to it’s lines and to it’s feelings. An impressive Romanian artist, whose works will never lose their charm.
2008-08-07
