Artwork
Fetița cu pisici
Fetița cu pisici is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Gheorghe Demetrescu-Mirea. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Argeș County Museum.
About this work
Overview
Gheorghe Demetrescu‑Mirea’s painting *Fetița cu pisici* dates from 1896. It portrays a young girl standing in a modest interior, cradling two small cats. The composition is intimate, focusing on the figure’s gentle expression and the calm demeanor of the animals.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a quiet domestic moment, emphasizing tenderness between child and pets. The girl’s soft smile and the cats’ placid posture suggest a scene of simple affection, inviting viewers to contemplate everyday serenity.
Technique & Style
Demetrescu‑Mirea combines loose, impressionistic brushwork for the handling of light and shadow with more precise rendering of the girl’s clothing and accessories. Chiaroscuro effects model the forms, while the contrast between diffuse illumination and detailed textures creates depth.
History & Provenance
Created in 1896, the painting reflects the artist’s late‑19th‑century Romanian context. Its subsequent ownership record is limited, but it has been exhibited in regional collections focusing on domestic genre scenes of the period.
Context
The piece belongs to a broader trend of genre painting in Romania, where artists depicted everyday life with a blend of realism and emerging modernist touches. The inclusion of pets aligns with contemporary interests in portraying intimate, middle‑class interiors.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gheorghe Demetrescu-Mirea’s prints, busts, and paintings show turn-of-the-century Romania through everyday subjects.
