Artwork
Marină - Oraș la mare
Marină - Oraș la mare is a print by Nicolae Dărăscu. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Art Cluj-Napoca.
About this work
Overview
Nicolae Dărăscu’s oil painting Marină – Oraș la mare, dated around 1931, depicts a bustling seaside settlement. The canvas is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed among other works that document Romanian visual culture of the early twentieth century.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a harbor scene: a slender white tower rises on the left, while a row of red‑tiled roofs lines the waterfront. A crowd gathers on a long pier, suggesting daily activity, and several small vessels drift on the calm water, their mirrored forms hinting at the interplay between human presence and the sea.
Technique & Style
Dărăscu employs a bright palette applied with loose, almost hurried brushwork. The colors retain vivid intensity but appear slightly smeared, conveying a sense of immediacy. The water surface is rendered with myriad tiny strokes that catch light variably, creating a textured, shimmering effect rather than a smooth mirror.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1931, the work entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings sometime after its completion, joining a broader assemblage of Romanian art from the interwar period. Its presence in the museum underscores the institution’s interest in works that document regional landscapes and urban life alongside ethnographic artifacts.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolae Dărăscu was a Romanian painter. He was influenced by Impressionism and Neo-impressionism.
