An interesting Romanian sculptor, with a strong and vibrant style, Oscar Han was the student of Dimitrie Paciurea, a writer and member of the famous Group of Four, a protest group of young artists against the rigid norms of Accademist art. He was very successful in Romanian, having several group and solo exhibitions in Bucharest, but he also had several shows in Europe, and his works made their way in prestigious galleries, museums and private collections all over the continent. An original and tallented artist, he was also quite influential among the younger generation.
Born in 1891 in Bucharest he enrolled at the Fine Arts Academy and worked under Dimitrie Paciurea, who would be his teacher and main influence, as he helped him consolidate and mature his style. Together with Nicolae Tonitza, Francisc Sirato and Stefan Dimitrescu, Oscar Han was one of the founders of the "Group of Four". This interesting and influential group was a Romanian variant of refusing the Accademical tradition in art, proposing a much more modern, contemporary manner, which changed to formatism in favour of a mix of European trend and folk art traditions. Offering young artists the force of original and new style, the four wanted to bring together the new generation, to create a national style and art history.
Oscar Han would exhibit his works in solo and group shows in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, ranging from official saloons and shows to smaller, special events. But he also exhibited abroad, several times, in Venice, Paris, The Hague, Amsterdam, Barcelona - just to name a few - and was considered one of the most important Romanian artists of his time. He also created an impressive serios of portraits, depicting in his works the likes of Parvan, Eminescu or Iorga, major figures of Romanian culture, as well as Sofocles or Dante, as to show to common features of genius. He was also interested in creating monumental, larger scenes, mostly inspired by key-moments and personalities in Romanian history. From the battles at Marasesti in World War I to Constantin Brancoveanu, Mihail Eminescu, Mihai Viteazul, this complex compositions, which can nowadays be admired in several Romanian cities, made him even more popular.
He was also an interesting author, having published a major monography on his teacher, Paciurea, as well as several articles, mainly art history and theory.
The artist died in Bucharest, in 1976. He was a master of contemporary sculptor, one of the most popular artists in postwar Romania and a respected and influential creator, both in his country and Europe. His shows had always been successful, art collectors bought his creations and major museums exhibited them.
Iulie 2008
