Artwork

Icoa

Icoa, by Pavel Zamfir Zugravu de Laz, 1850
Icoa, by Pavel Zamfir Zugravu de Laz, 1850

Icoa is a drawing by Pavel Zamfir Zugravu de Laz. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the ASTRA National Museum Complex.

About this work

The panel looks like it could hold a drawing or painting underneath—maybe one that’s been removed or is waiting to be seen.

This is a plain wooden panel with a smooth, light brown finish. The wood shows faint grain lines and a few small marks, like scratches or wear. Near the top, someone wrote "1247-OC" in pencil, and there’s a small white label stuck near the bottom left.

The panel looks like it could hold a drawing or painting underneath—maybe one that’s been removed or is waiting to be seen. The numbers and label suggest it’s part of a collection, tracked carefully over time.

If you’re curious about where this might come from, look up the Museum of Ethnography.

Overview

Icoa is a modest wooden panel attributed to the Romanian artist Pavel Zamfir Zugravu de Laz, dated approximately to the middle of the nineteenth century. The board measures a standard size for portable supports and is finished in a light brown varnish that highlights the subtle grain of the timber. Its plain surface and lack of decorative elements suggest it was intended as a substrate for a drawing or painting, rather than as a finished artwork in its own right.

Subject & Meaning

No imagery is present on the panel itself; instead, the object functions as a blank carrier, hinting at a concealed or removed work beneath its surface. The absence of visual content invites speculation about the original subject matter, which may have been a study, a preparatory sketch, or a finished composition now lost or transferred elsewhere.

Technique & Style

The panel is crafted from a single piece of wood, sanded smooth and treated with a thin, light brown finish that both protects the surface and accentuates the natural grain. Minor scratches and wear marks testify to handling over time. A faint pencil inscription near the top reads “1247‑OC,” indicating a cataloguing practice rather than an artistic gesture.

History & Provenance

The pencil notation and a small white label affixed to the lower left corner point to systematic collection management, likely within an institutional setting. Such markings are typical of inventory records, suggesting the panel has been part of a museum or ethnographic collection for an extended period, possibly the Museum of Ethnography.

Context

Created around 1850, the panel aligns with a period when Romanian artists frequently employed wooden supports for studies before transferring works to canvas or paper. Zugravu de Laz’s oeuvre includes a range of graphic and painted pieces, and this panel may represent a preparatory stage in his artistic process, reflecting broader 19th‑century practices in the region.

Artist & collection