Artwork
Măturător (Măturătoare)
Măturător (Măturătoare) is an unspecified painting by Ion Bărbulescu. It dates from 1925 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
Ion Bărbulescu’s 1925 work Măturător (Măturătoare) is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. Executed as an oil image, the piece captures a winter street scene rendered with a tactile, heavily layered surface.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman bundled in a dark coat, hood, and red mittens, who leans against a large wagon wheel while holding a stick. Behind her, three figures navigate the snow‑covered thoroughfare, framed by buildings whose green shutters suggest a modest urban setting.
Technique & Style
Bărbulescu employs a pronounced impasto technique, applying thick, textured brushstrokes that convey the roughness of the cold environment. The palette is dominated by bold, slightly muted tones, reinforcing the hurried, wintry atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created in 1925, the painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on display as a representation of early twentieth‑century Romanian genre painting.
Context
The work reflects a period when Romanian artists often depicted everyday life and seasonal labor, aligning with broader European interests in genre scenes that document social realities through a vivid, tactile visual language.
Artist & collection
