The national museum "George Enescu"

The National Museum “George Enescu” was opened in the Cantacuzino Palace, one of the most beautiful buildings in Bucharest, a historical monument and one of the European Heritage Label buildings.

The sumptuous entrance, in Art Nouveau style, announces the luxury and the refinement of the époque, reunited in one of the most imposing palaces in Bucharest.

Built in 1901-1903 by Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, known as “The Nabob”, mayor of Bucharest, prime-minister, leader of the Conservative Party, the palace followed the design of the remarkable architect Ioan D. Berindei. For the decoration of the building, the architect collaborated with renowned artists of the time – G. D. Mirea, Nicolae Vermont and Costin Petrescu – for the mural paintings, the architect Emil Wilhelm Becker for sculptures and sculptural decoration and the Krieger House in Paris for the interior decoration (tapestry, chandeliers, lamps, stained-glasses etc).

After the death of the Nabob, in 1913, the palace was inherited by his son, Mihail G. Cantacuzino and his wife, Maria (Maruca Rosetti-Tescanu). After the premature death of Mihail G. Cantacuzino, Maruca married George Enescu, in 1937. The couple lived, in 1945-1946, in the house situated near the palace, which was initially intended as an administrative building.

After the death of George Enescu, in 1955, his wife stated in her will that the palace and the other buildings of the domain would host a museum dedicated to the artist. In 1956, The National Museum “George Enescu” was established here.

Nicolae Grigorescu - Romanian painter - Biography

Nicolae Grigorescu is the first of the founders of modern Romanian painting, followed by Ion Andreescu and Ştefan Luchian, having become a symbol for the young generations of artists who, during the first decades of the 20th century, were striving to identify and bring to light the profoundly characteristic values of Romanian spirituality.

Nicolae Grigorescu was born in the Pitaru village (Dâmboviţa County), as sixth child of Ion and Ruxandra Grigorescu. In 1843, when his father died, the family moved to Bucharest, in the Brickmakers' Quarter, in an aunt's house.
After an early apprenticeship (1848-1850) in the workshop of the Czech miniaturist and church painter Anton Chladek (1794-1882), he painted icons for the church in Băicoi (Prahova County) and for Căldăruşani Monastery. In 1856 he achieved the historical composition Michael dropping the standard, which he presented to Prince Barbu Ştirbei, alongside a petition by means of which he requested financial aid for his studies. In 1856-1857 he painted the new church of Zamfira Monastery (Prahova County), then, until 1861, the church of Agapia Monastery. Upon the intervention of Mihail Kogalniceanu, who appreciated the quality of his painting, he was granted a scholarship to study in Paris.

In the autumn of 1861, young Grigorescu left for Paris, where he was admitted to the School of Fine Arts, attending Sébastien Cornu's workshop (1804-1870), where he was a fellow student of Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). Being aware of the gaps in his own artistic instruction, he would study drawing and composition in the first place. However, he would soon leave this workshop and, attracted by the artistic outlooks of the Barbizon School, he would settle down in this place, achieving his pictorial education by assimilating the experience of such artists as Jean-François Millet (1814-1875), Camille Corot (1796-1875), Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) and Théodore Rousseau (1812-1867). Influenced by this artistic environment, Grigorescu was concerned about acquiring certain innovating means of artistic expression, in the atmosphere of the cult for plein-air painting, which prepares the close Impressionistic advent.

Architecture in Romania

Romanians' vivid imagination and intense spirituality have always been expressed through their architecture. Fortunately, they also have strong preservation instincts, resulting in village museums that display bygone ways of life through found and restored peasant houses, elaborately carved gates, barns and other architectural elements. The best and most comprehensive of these is the Village Museum (Muzeul Satului) in Bucharest. Constructed by a visionary during the 1930s on a large tract within the city, this is a fascinating collection of more than 300 houses and other structures from every region of Romania. It also has a small museum and shop of fine Romanian crafts. Other such village museums well worth visiting are Museum of Wood (Muzeul Lemnului) in Campulung Moldovenesc and Museum of Peasant Techniques (Muzeul Tehnicii Populare) in Sibiu. Both have collections of early farm tools and household implements.

Monasteries, churches, synagogues, castles and palaces throughout the country, some dating from the 12th Century, depict the country's tumultuous history. Even its Communist era is expressed through Ceausescu's master planning and rebuilding of Bucharest. The best example of his testament to secularity is the Palace of Parliament — the world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon — whose 1,000 rooms reflect the country's best architects, artisans and building materials. Among the best examples of Romanian's Orthodox religion are the painted monasteries of Southern Bucovina, acclaimed as masterpieces of art and architecture, "perfectly in harmony with their surroundings and unique in the world for their painted exteriors." They hold UNESCO's Prix d'Or for "artistic, spiritual and cultural value." Of the five best known, the most famous is Voronet, also called the "Sistine Chapel of the East" whose blue exterior background lent its name to the color "Voronet Blue." These are essential sights for anyone interested in religious architecture, but they are only a few of Romania's architectural treasures.

Source : Romaniatourism.com