Artwork
Notație de peisaj
Notație de peisaj is a print by Carol Pop de Szathmári. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Bucharest Municipality Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1874, *Notație de peisaj* is a modestly sized work on paper by Carol Szathmari, a Hungarian‑born artist who spent most of his career in Bucharest. The image records a brief, impressionistic view of a natural setting, rendered in a sketch‑like manner that emphasizes atmosphere over detail. It is part of the Museum of Ethnography’s permanent holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a tranquil scene: a rippling water surface occupies the lower plane, while the middle ground is marked by dark, angular forms that suggest either trees or rocky outcrops. Beyond them, a pale horizon is softened by muted blue‑gray clouds, conveying a sense of distance and quiet observation.
Technique & Style
Szathmari employed swift, uneven brushstrokes that give the work a diaristic quality, as if noting a fleeting impression. The palette is restrained, dominated by muted greens, browns, and whites, with occasional dark ink lines that add texture and depth. The handling recalls the loose, tonal approach of early plein‑air sketches, bordering on chiaroscuro in its contrast of light and shadow.
History & Provenance
Although Szathmari is best known for his pioneering photographic work, he also produced a modest body of paintings and lithographs. *Notație de peisaj* entered the Museum of Ethnography’s collection through a mid‑20th‑century acquisition of Szathmari’s papers, where it remains catalogued as an example of his lesser‑known visual diary practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carol Szathmari (Romanian: Carol Popp de Szathmari, Hungarian: Szathmáry Pap Károly; 11 January 1812, Kolozsvár – 3 July 1887, Bucharest) was a Romanian painter, lithographer, and photographer of Transylvanian Hungarian…
