Mircea Motronea

Mirtza Motronea spent his days painting scenes so bright they hurt to look at, especially if you were the kind of person who got nervous around big crowds and even bigger egos. One of his watercolors shows workers waving at a parade, the kind of stiff, smiling crowd that makes you wonder who’s really watching who. Take a closer look at Workers Celebrating an Official Parade, it’s the awkward posture, the too-wide grins, the way the flags all point the wrong direction. That’s Motronea: he knew the show had to go on, even when the script felt wrong.