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Paula Craioveanu
BLUE SUN original art Paula Craioveanu Nude inspired by Matisse

2022

About the Item

“Blue Sun” Tempera pencil charcoal on blue paper Shipped rolled in a tube 25x3x3in. Drawing was originally in mat, that covered the right corner!! The lines are the result of the previous mat. This piece, Blue Sun, is a striking and evocative work that captures both the sensuality of the human form and the depth of emotion through minimal yet powerful brushstrokes. The choice of medium—charcoal, ink, and tempera—combined with the bold use of a monochromatic blue background creates an impactful, almost dreamlike composition. The intense blue background dominates the composition, evoking a sense of calm and introspection, while also creating a striking contrast with the white highlights of the figure. The blue suggests both the oceanic environment and the emotional depth often tied to solitude or tranquility. The title, Blue Sun, suggests a surreal or symbolic approach to the subject. It alludes to the paradox of warmth (sun) and coolness (blue), mirroring the interplay between light and shadow on the figure's body. The charcoal and ink define the contours and forms of the body with precision, yet remain loose and gestural, giving the work a sense of immediacy and vitality. The bold, fluid lines suggest movement and energy, even though the pose itself is one of relaxation.The tempera highlights create dramatic lighting effects, giving the figure a sculptural, almost luminous quality. The high contrast emphasizes the anatomical structure of the body, making it appear dynamic and alive. The pose is reminiscent of the reclining nudes from classical art but rendered in a contemporary, abstract style. The diagonal placement of the figure across the page creates tension and dynamism while maintaining balance within the composition.The interplay between negative space (the blue background) and the figure adds to the visual drama, focusing the viewer's eye on the twisting, almost foreshortened shape of the body. The simplified, gestural style echoes the works of Expressionist and Modernist artists, such as Henri Matisse or Emil Nolde, who used bold colors and fluid forms to convey emotion rather than realistic detail. The loose, almost unfinished quality also recalls Japanese sumi-e (ink wash painting), where simplicity and bold brushstrokes are used to capture the essence of the subject. The piece feels more abstract and symbolic compared to the previous work. While On the Beach captures a sense of leisurely reality, Blue Sun moves towards a more emotional and conceptual interpretation of the human form. The blue color and soft luminosity evoke the idea of light reflecting on water, as though the figure is basking in the glow of an imagined, surreal sun. This piece is an emotionally charged and visually compelling work that bridges realism and abstraction beautifully. Its simplicity is its strength, allowing the viewer to bring their own interpretation to the scene. Artist Statement "I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now. As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space. My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair. Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes, in a reversal of the male-artist/female-muse pattern, validate the feminine experience, defining myself through it. I was interested in how one experiences the body in a sensual form, and later focused on my own body, as I experience it myself, looking into the mirror and reconnecting. My work challenges the tradition of the nude by capturing my point of view, the gaze of a female painter, by using photography, drawings, sketches, and painting on canvas, for, both physical and psychological exploration. My art tries to create a visual language for emotion, beauty, feelings of intimacy and in the same time autonomy, captured with paint and vivid colors. My intense interest in colour and the gestures of the brush strokes are the means I see and convey the subjects in space, as living, passionate beings." Paula Craioveanu Biography: Paula Craioveanu is a Romanian artist, born in 1976. She grew up surrounded by art and inspiration, in a family of artists. Trained in Bucharest and New York as an architect and painter. Holds a degree in Architecture and a PhD in Visual Arts. Presently working as a full-time artist. At the age of 16, Paula Craioveanu moved to New York, where she came in contact with New York’s vibrant art scene, she graduated from high school and then studied at Parsons School of Design. Then she moved back to Romania where she studied for the next 6 years at the Architecture University in Bucharest and graduated with a degree in Architecture in 2000. In 2013 she earned a Ph.D in Visual Arts at the University of Arts in Bucharest with the theme “Geometry of Space in 17th century Dutch painting”. After this, she dedicated her full time to art, and showed her talent to the art world. Paula Craioveanu works in acrylic and oil paints, but also pen and ink or tempera works on paper. She regularly participates in shows and exhibitions in galleries along the East and West Coast of the United States, like bG Gallery Santa Monica, Dacia Gallery and Perseus Gallery in New York. Paula Craioveanu’s work is featured on the two most exclusive online art marketplaces, 1stDibs and Artsy. Over the course of 20 years, Paula Craioveanu has created several painting series: “Abstract”, “Interiors”, “Nude in Interior”, “NeoMythology”. Paula Craioveanu’s work has been placed in private collection around the world, both in Europe and in the United States. Today, Paula Craioveanu has set up studios and works in Bucharest and New York. Find original Paula Craioveanu paintings, works on paper and other art on 1stDibs. Next: Works on display - December 2024, Context Art Miami.
  • Creator:
    Paula Craioveanu (1976, Romanian)
  • Creation Year:
    2022
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Width: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Forest Hills, NY
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: Romanian-American artist. PhD in Visual Arts.1stDibs: LU2240215524082

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