Ballet Dancer 1943

Alexandru Ciucurencu painted this ballet dancer with oil on canvas, but we don't know exactly when. The whole painting feels built from the surface up through layers of strokes and hues. I really get a sense of process here. The paint is laid on thick, especially in her blue tutu, and you can almost feel the texture of each stroke. This blue, set against the more muted background, it's the heart of the painting. It is an electric pop, but it is also grounded by the weight of the other tones. Look at the way he's captured the guitar, it is almost an afterthought. This gives the dancer an introspective feel, as though she's caught between performances, or perhaps dreaming of one. Ciucurencu reminds me of someone like Bonnard, he captures a moment, a mood, and lets the rest dissolve into a haze of colour and feeling. It all feels so open, inviting us to imagine our own stories within the frame.