Balchik Corner 1926

Stefan Dimitrescu conjured this hazy scene, Balchik Corner, with watercolor, blurring the line between seeing and feeling. Look at how the wash of browns and grays creates a feeling of heat shimmering off the stone buildings, the trees almost heavy with shade. It's like the whole scene is breathing. I imagine Dimitrescu there, squinting in the sun, trying to capture not just what he sees, but the very sensation of being there. The way he lets the paint run, bleed into the paper, it’s like he's inviting the world in, letting the scene paint itself. It makes me think of other painters like John Marin, who used watercolor to capture the energy of the city. Dimitrescu is doing something similar here, capturing the languid pace of life. There’s a real generosity in the way he leaves things unfinished, like he’s saying, “Here’s a glimpse, now you take it from here.” And that, to me, is the magic of painting – this ongoing conversation between the artist, the world, and us.