Portrait (Harlequin) 1974

Corneliu Baba created this *Portrait (Harlequin)*. Baba lived through tumultuous periods in Romanian history, including World War II and the subsequent communist regime. Here, the harlequin, traditionally a figure of comedy and agility, is rendered with a heavy sadness. The color palette, dominated by muted tones, enhances the figure’s melancholic state, a quiet subversion of the harlequin's expected joviality. The harlequin's costume becomes a mask, a facade that both conceals and reveals inner turmoil. The personal is subtly politicized as the artist may be commenting on the emotional toll of living in a society marked by political oppression and surveillance. Consider the weight of history and personal experience embedded in this representation. It encourages us to look beyond the surface, to find the quiet moments of emotional resistance and expression.