Artwork
Marea la Saint-Malo
Marea la Saint-Malo is an unspecified painting by Gheorghe Petrașcu. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Art of Romania.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1921, Marea la Saint‑Malo is an oil painting by Romanian artist Gheorghe Petrașcu. The work measures a modest size and is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed among other early‑20th‑century landscapes.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a broad seascape dominated by a distant, rocky island under a cloud‑filled sky. In the foreground, dark masses—interpreted as waves or outcropping rocks—anchor the composition, conveying a tranquil yet slightly somber atmosphere that reflects the quietude of the Breton coast.
Technique & Style
Petrașcu employs a restrained palette of grays and browns, layering thin washes to model atmospheric depth. The handling of light and shadow shows a subtle chiaroscuro, while the brushwork remains loose, suggesting the movement of water and the weight of clouds without precise detail.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Museum of Ethnography, where it has remained in the institution’s collection. Documentation places the work firmly within Petrașcu’s productive period of the early 1920s, when he frequently explored coastal scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gheorghe Petrașcu painted quiet scenes of buildings, streets, and still lifes in the 1920s and ’30s Romania.
