Chromatic Ratios in the Painting of Bessarabian Artists from the Post-war Period

Abstract

The article concerns the problem of the way of plastic presentation under chromatic ratio in the painting from the years ’40–’50. In the first post-war decade, the national culture in the territory between the Dniester and the Prut is subject to severe ideological restrictions that had a strong impact on the artistic life. The new requirements change the artistic vision of plastic artists and focus national art on the aesthetics of „socialist realism”, with an emphasis on social and historical themes, rendered in a pronounced narrative-literary character. From a stylistic point of view, the painting of the post-war period reveals a way of plastic expression and a chromatic predilection with reminiscences of the academic tradition – plein-air-ist manner, „non-finite” technique, modeling of the form by the chiaroscuro method, the use of the type of tonal contrast, dark color of warm shades (ochre-brown, olive-gray, etc.). Among the artists who adapted to the new requirements of the time and who practiced a painting of „Peredivjnicist” influence, are M. Gamburd, D. Sevastianov, A. Baranovici and others. The socio-cultural transformations after 1956–1957 led to the „liberation” of the artistic vision from the conventionalism of „socialist realism”. According to the result of a chromogram made by the author, it appears that, in the national painting of the post-war period, dark colors with a warm hue prevail, with a ratio of about 43%.

Keywords

• color
• painting
• hue
• tonality
• contrast
• artist
• socialist realism