Nicolae Grigorescu painting sells for record price on Romanian art market

The painting Ţărăncuţă cu basma alba (Peasant Girl with White Headscarf) of Romanian Nicolae Grigorescu has set a new record for the local art market after selling for EUR 340,000 at an Artmark auction on October 31. The painting went on sale with an estimated price of EUR 50,000 – EUR 90,000. It comes from the collection of magistrate Lazăr Munteanu (1869-1951), a nephew of collector Iancu Kalinderu. Munteanu was one of the most important art collectors of the inter-war period, alongside Krikor Zambaccian and dr. Iosif Dona. Zambaccian’s art collection is exhibited in his former home, today’s Zambaccian Museum in the capital. A previous record on a work by Nicolae Grigorescu was set in December 2016, when Ţărăncuţe de la fântână (Peasant Girls at the Fountain) sold for EUR 320,000. Two other paintings by Grigorescu sold at the same auction. Ciobănaş cu turmă de oi (Little Shepherd with a Flock of Sheep) sold for EUR 110,000, more than the estimated price of EUR 40,000 – EUR 60,000. Primăvară la Posada (Spring in Posada) sold for EUR 32,500. At the same October 31 auction, Theodor Aman’s Natură statică cu liliac şi cutie cu bijuterii (Still Life with Lilac and Box of Jewelry) sold for EUR 140,000. At the same time, the drawings La Colonne sans fin/ La muse endormie by Constantin Brâncuşi sold for EUR 40,000, more than the estimated price of EUR 10,000 – EUR 15,000. The drawings came from the collection of Ion Alexandrescu, the carver who worked with Brâncuşi between 1937 and 1938 on the ensemble in Târgu Jiu. The October 31 auction saw total sales of EUR 1.64 million, Artmark said. Nicolae Tonitza painting sold for EUR 150,000 at Bucharest auction (Photo: Artmark) editor@romania-insider.com