157. Odalisque [1937]

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157. Odalisque [1937]

Iosif Iser

1881, București - 1958, Bucureşti

Not sold

Selling price

EUR 4.824

References

The catalogue of the retrospective exhibition "Iser", Bucharest, 1983.

varnished gouache on paper pasted on cardboard, 34 x 52 cm, signed and dated bottom right, in black, "ISER, (19)37"

The whole work of Iosif Iser focuses around the human figure. Everyday life becomes thus the leitmotiv of his creation. The artist has a boundless power of synthesis: he observes, analyses and transposes this world on his canvases. From the common country human to the complexity of Western characters, he will focus his attention on different human typologies. The year 1913 corresponds to the moment when Iser gets in touch with the landscape in Dobrogea. This journey brings him closer to traditions, ports, settlements and local people whom he will constantly transpose in his creations. Medgidia, Turtucaia, Balchik or Istanbul will represent the following points in the artist's itinerary, which will translate each trip into a new work of art. He is also preoccupied by the Spanish motif, which follows the trip from Dobrogea. The motif will remain in his memory and will reappear consistently in his work for decades to come. The Iberian Peninsula welcomes him with the same warm climate as Dobrogea. The majesty of the Spanish landscape gives Iser an euphoric state of exhilaration, which he would later transcribe on canvas with his pen. Iberian world is more strident and clearly full of strong contrasts. Spain represented, like Dobrogea, Balchik or Istanbul, an infinite source of inspiration for the travelling artist. The female character remained, in this context as well, the central subject of his works. The woman representative of the Hispanic space appears, in the artist's canvases, covered in veils of black lace, caught in contemplative poses or overflowing with latent energy, sensuality and mystery. Iser relies on body expressivity, often illustrated nude or semi-nude, on the naturalness of the movements and the richness of the chromatic harmonies offered by the subject. The Spanish warm welcome facilitates his artistic fulfilment. The colour is, from this moment on, fully affirmed. His palette receives many nuances less used previously: accents of deep red or mystery black. The light will be, from now on, embedded in colour and strongly influenced by chromatic contrasts.

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