Who painted Scena de balet?

Scena de balet was painted by Cornel Medrea in 1949.

Where can I see Scena de balet?

Scena de balet is held by Bucharest Municipality Museum.

Artwork

Scena de balet

Cornel Medrea , 1949

Scena de balet is a drawing by Cornel Medrea. It dates from 1949 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.

About this work

Overview

Scena de balet, executed around 1949 by Romanian sculptor and draughtsman Cornel Medrea, is an image depicting a collective of ballet dancers captured in a dynamic leap. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑twentieth‑century figurative drawing.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents several dancers whose bodies twist in synchrony, arms outstretched as if forming wings. Their varied gazes—some directed upward, others sideways—convey a shared moment of ascent and kinetic energy, suggesting themes of unity, grace, and the fleeting nature of performance.

Technique & Style

Medrea employs delicate, fluid lines that dissolve the contours of the figures, creating a sense of translucency and lightness. The soft, watery strokes emphasize motion and the impression of weightlessness, while the pale blue background offers a subtle atmospheric context that enhances the ethereal quality of the scene.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1949, the drawing entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains part of the institution’s visual arts assemblage. Its presence in an ethnographic museum reflects the broader interest in documenting cultural expressions such as dance within the mid‑century Romanian artistic milieu.