Artwork
Hârșova (Baia)
Hârșova (Baia) is a print by Lucia Dem-Bălăcescu. It dates from 1963 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania.
About this work
Overview
Lucia Dem‑Bălăcescu produced a modest drawing in 1963 entitled Hârșova (Baia). Executed as a monochrome sketch, the work measures only a few centimeters and presents a handful of structures with sharply inclined roofs. The composition is rendered in faint, wavering lines that convey a sense of immediacy, suggesting the piece functions as a preparatory study rather than a polished final image.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing records a cluster of buildings that appear to belong to the town of Hârșova, historically known as Baia. By isolating the architectural forms without surrounding landscape or human activity, the artist emphasizes the geometric character of the roofs and façades, inviting contemplation of regional vernacular architecture and its spatial rhythms.
Technique & Style
Executed with a light hand in pencil, the work relies on loose, sketchy strokes that give the structures a tentative quality. The absence of shading and the use of a plain background focus attention on line work alone, reflecting a practice of rapid observation typical of field studies conducted by artists documenting everyday scenes.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1960s, the piece forms part of Dem‑Bălăcescu’s broader interest in Romanian locales. Though its precise exhibition history is undocumented, the drawing has been retained within the artist’s archive and is now held by a museum collection that emphasizes ethnographic and regional visual records.
Artist & collection
