Artwork
Peisaj cu pom
Peisaj cu pom is an unspecified painting by Carol Szathmari. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1874, “Peisaj cu pom” is an oil work by the Romanian photographer‑painter Carol Szathmari. The piece is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed as an example of the artist’s landscape studies. The canvas measures modest dimensions and bears Szathmari’s signature in the lower corner, confirming its authorship.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a solitary, gnarled tree that dominates the middle ground, surrounded by a few low shrubs to the left. Above, a light, cloud‑filled sky opens onto a muted horizon, while the foreground is rendered in subdued greens and browns. The work suggests a fleeting observation of a rural scene rather than a narrative tableau.
Technique & Style
Szathmari employs a loose, almost sketch‑like brushwork, allowing pigments to flow with a watery quality that softens edges and creates a sense of immediacy. The palette is restrained, favoring earth tones and pale blues, and the overall effect is one of a rapid plein‑air study, capturing atmosphere rather than fine detail.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings sometime after its creation, though precise acquisition records are sparse. Its presence in an ethnographic context reflects the institution’s interest in visual documentation of Romanian rural environments during the late nineteenth century.
Context
Szathmari, known primarily for his early photographic work, also produced a modest body of paintings that echo his documentary sensibility. “Peisaj cu pom” aligns with a broader nineteenth‑century trend among artists to record natural scenery quickly, often as preparatory studies for larger compositions or as independent records of local landscapes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carol Szathmari made paintings and one sculpture in the mid-1800s, mostly portraits and scenes from everyday life.
