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Paula CraioveanuSummer Blue - original large blue nude by Paula Craioveanu 39x27.5in2023
2023
About the Item
"Summer Blue", pencil and ultramarine tempera on paper, inspired by Matisse.
Part of Nude in Interior series.
Nude shown in a Victorian interior, in a cinematic view. In a distorted perspective.
Large drawing. Shipped rolled in a tube.
"Summer Blue" is a beautiful continuation of your series, and it feels even more fluid and airy than the male nude. The use of ultramarine tempera carries that same spontaneous, gestural energy, but here, the lines are even more minimal, almost calligraphic. There's a strong sense of rhythm in how the brushstrokes flow across the paper, creating an interplay between precision and abstraction.
The distortion adds an intriguing layer—it could be seen as a nod to Matisse's later cut-outs, where form is reduced to its essence yet remains dynamic. The elongated lines and slightly exaggerated proportions give the figure an ethereal quality, reinforcing the title Summer Blue—it evokes warmth, relaxation, and movement, almost like a fleeting memory of a moment rather than a static composition.
Artist Statement
"I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now.
As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space.
My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair.
Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes, in a reversal of the male-artist/female-muse pattern, validate the feminine experience, defining myself through it.
I was interested in how one experiences the body in a sensual form, and later focused on my own body, as I experience it myself, looking into the mirror and reconnecting.
My work challenges the tradition of the nude by capturing my point of view, the gaze of a female painter, by using photography, drawings, sketches, and painting on canvas, for, both physical and psychological exploration.
My art tries to create a visual language for emotion, beauty, feelings of intimacy and in the same time autonomy, captured with paint and vivid colors. My intense interest in color and the gestures of the brush strokes are the means I see and convey the subjects in space, as living, passionate beings."
Paula Craioveanu
Biography:
Paula Craioveanu is a Romanian artist, born in 1976. She grew up surrounded by art and inspiration, in a family of artists. Trained in Bucharest and New York as an architect and painter. Holds a degree in Architecture and a PhD in Visual Arts. Presently working as a full-time artist.
At the age of 16, Paula Craioveanu moved to New York, where she came in contact with New York’s vibrant art scene, she graduated from high school and then studied at Parsons School of Design. Then she moved back to Romania where she studied for the next 6 years at the Architecture University in Bucharest and graduated with a degree in Architecture in 2000. In 2013 she earned a Ph.D in Visual Arts at the University of Arts in Bucharest with the theme “Geometry of Space in 17th century Dutch painting”. After this, she dedicated her full time to art, and showed her talent to the art world.
Paula Craioveanu works in acrylic and oil paints, but also pen and ink or tempera works on paper. She regularly participates in shows and exhibitions in galleries along the East and West Coast of the United States, like bG Gallery Santa Monica, Dacia Gallery and Perseus Gallery in New York.
Paula Craioveanu’s work is featured on the two most exclusive online art marketplaces, 1stDibs and Artsy.
Over the course of 20 years, Paula Craioveanu has created several painting series: “Abstract”, “Interiors”, “Nude in Interior”, “NeoMythology”. Paula Craioveanu’s work has been placed in private collection around the world, both in Europe and in the United States.
Today, Paula Craioveanu has set up studios and works in Bucharest and New York.
Find original Paula Craioveanu paintings, works on paper and other art on 1stDibs.
Next: Works on display - December 2024, Context Art Miami.
- Creator:Paula Craioveanu (1976, Romanian)
- Creation Year:2023
- Dimensions:Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)Width: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Forest Hills, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: Romanian-American artist. PhD in Visual Arts.1stDibs: LU2240212771512
Paula Craioveanu
Trained in Bucharest and New York as architect and painter. Holds a degree in Architecture and a PhD in Visual Arts. Presently working as a full-time artist.
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Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Siesta", 100x70cm / 39x27.5in Nude in Interior, pencil and ultramarine tempera on paper, inspired by Matisse.
Large drawing. Shipped rolled in a tube, from Florida, US.
Check 1st Dibs offer FREESHIP coupon for items over $500.
"Siesta" is a serene and visually arresting addition to the "Nude in Interior" series. It conveys a quiet intimacy and relaxation, perfectly encapsulated in its title. The reclining female figure, with legs elegantly extended upward, creates a sense of balance between stillness and subtle energy. The interplay of ultramarine tempera and the warm-toned paper once again demonstrates the artist’s ability to use limited color palettes to great emotional and visual effect.
The ochre-like background provides a sunlit, tranquil atmosphere that pairs beautifully with the cool, calm energy of the ultramarine tempera. The artist’s choice of medium emphasizes contrast while imbuing the piece with a harmonious duality—warmth in the environment and coolness in the figure. The fluidity of the brushstrokes aligns with the theme of relaxation, while the vertical drips lend a dreamlike quality, as if the figure is melting into her surroundings. The looser strokes in the background contrast with the more defined lines of the figure, highlighting her as the focal point.
The unconventional reclining pose, with legs extended upward, adds visual interest and a sense of lightheartedness to the piece. It suggests a playful yet completely relaxed moment, as though the figure is unwinding and stretching in the midst of a private, comfortable setting. The verticality of the legs and the drips juxtaposes with the horizontal lines in the background, creating a sense of structure and stability. This geometric balance anchors the composition and enhances the overall sense of calm. The artist has included abstract horizontal strokes in the background, reminiscent of blinds or a window. These subtle details suggest an interior space filled with sunlight and add depth without detracting from the figure’s prominence.
The title, "Siesta," reinforces the narrative of rest and tranquility. The figure’s pose is unapologetically casual and unguarded, evoking the vulnerability and freedom found in moments of private repose. While other works in the series explore themes of introspection, passion, or desire, this piece focuses purely on physical and emotional relaxation. It offers a more subdued, meditative perspective, providing variety to the series while maintaining its stylistic coherence.
The reclining nude is a recurring motif in art history, seen in works by Titian, Ingres, and Modigliani. However, this piece’s contemporary execution—fluid, minimalist, and abstracted—ties it more closely to modernist traditions, particularly the gestural energy of Egon Schiele or Matisse’s reclining nudes. The artist’s decision to leave much of the environment abstract enhances the piece’s timeless quality. The figure feels anchored in both a specific space (suggested by the window-like strokes) and an almost dreamlike, universal realm.
"Siesta" is a masterful exploration of rest and serenity, demonstrating the artist’s ability to convey mood through form, color, and composition. The elegant simplicity of the figure, combined with the abstracted interior elements, invites the viewer to share in this peaceful moment. Its balance of gestural abstraction and classical themes makes it both timeless and distinctly modern. This piece is a beautiful representation of intimacy, calm, and the universal human experience of seeking rest.
Artist Statement
"I started by painting interiors, being interested in space and perspective through my studies. These scenes evolved, when I added the human figure. I focused more on the human figure and its relation to the background. The human figure is more present than ever in my paintings now.
As a woman artist I’ve been preoccupied with the female form and its imagery. One of my goals was to capture the solitary moments and the nude’s relation to the surrounding space.
My interest turned from depicting the space to rendering the atmosphere and the scene as a whole, the feeling a woman adds to the environment: warmth, desire, joy, a feeling of power and control, or the opposite – sadness, despair.
Here is a collection of figurative paintings, exploring the nudes in interior spaces, seeing the nudes from my perspective, as a woman artist, considering the physical and spiritual realities of a woman’s body, in a new level of intimacy. My paintings are the opposite of objectifying a woman’s or a man’s anatomy. Painted works, featuring female nudes and a also men nudes...
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Free shi...
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2017 Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL
2012 Eye Teeth Group Show, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester, MI
2011 Art Chicago 2011, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
2010 Art Chicago 2010, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
2009 David Becker Retrospective, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Art Chicago 2009, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
The 184th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, National Academy Museum, NYC
Selections, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008 Art Chicago 2008, Represented by Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
2007 Unruly Muse, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
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2006 Palm Beach³, Ann Nathan Gallery, Palm Beach, FL
2005 SOFA NY (Sculptural Objects Functional Art), Ann Nathan Gallery, 7th Regiment Armory, NY, NY
Art Chicago in the Park, Butler Field, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Palm Beach³, Ann Nathan Gallery, Palm Beach, FL
2004 Contemporary Prints: National Academy Museum Collection, National Academy of Design, NYC
Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fantastic & Visionary Art, touring exhibit: Orange, Manning, Riddoch, & Ballart Gallery, Australia
Return of the Men, Peltz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2003 Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Fantastic & Visionary Art, touring exhibit: Orange Regional Gallery, New South Wales, Australia
National Academy of Design 178th Annual Exhibition, NY, NY
2002 Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Art of the 20th Century, Ann Nathan Gallery, Park Ave. Armory, NY, NY
Outsider Art Fair, The Puck Building @ Houston & Lafayette Sts., NYC
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Return of the Men, Peltz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2001 Beyond the 50's, May 4 - July 1, Exhibit A, A Gallery of Art & Design, Birmingham, Michigan
Outsider Art Fair, January 26-28, The Puck Building @ Houston & Lafayette Sts., NYC
"FANTASTIC ART", April/May, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange NSW, Australia.
David Becker: Etchings and Engravings, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, solo exhibition of prints, February.
2000 Four person exhibition, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, Oct. 31 - Nov. 27, 2000.
1999 National Academy 174th Annual Exhibition, NY
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Treasures Revealed: 19th and 20th Century American Works on Paper, National Academy, NY
1995 Bharat Bhavan International Biennial of Prints, Bhopal, India
Contemporary Prints, Selections from John Szoke Gallery, NYC, Drew University, Madison, NJ
Collection Update, 1994, National Academy of Design Museum, NY
1994 David Becker and Robert Sholties, Peconic Gallery, Suffolk Community College, Riverhead, NY
In Black and White: Works by Four Printmakers, Atrium Gallery, University of Connecticut, Storrs
Aesthetics of Athletics: Sports, Games, and Exercise, Charles A. Wustum Musem, Racine, WI
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1993 Take Home a Nude benefit auction, NY Academy of Art Graduate School Of Figurative Art, NY
1993 American Prints: Last Half 20th Century, Jane Haslem Gallery, Washingtion, DC
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National Academy of Design 168th Annual Exhibition, NY
David Becker: Etchings, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA
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1992 The Print Fair, 7th Regiment Armory, NY
1991 166th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of Design, NY
Alma College Collection, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan
Modes of Expression, Potsdam College, SUNY, Potsdam, NY
1990 With Nothing On, Prints and Drawings of the Nude, New Orleans Museum of Art, LA
Prints by Printmakers, Staller Art Center, SUNY-Stonybrook, NY
Publications/Reviews
2007 November 60 Years of North American Prints: 1947-2007, Boston U. Art Gallery, Boston, MA
2003 July 11 Isthmus, Madison, “Welcome to My Nightmare,” by Robert Cozzolino.
2001 March 14 The Wall Street Journal, "Time Off: A Week of Diversions."
Review of Progressive Printmakers (LVM) exhibition.
2001 February Isthmus, Madison, "America's Printland," by Jennifer Smith.
2001 February Capital Times, "The Crowned Prints," by Kevin Lynch.
1999 July Progressive Printmakers: Wisconsin Artists & the Print Renaissance.
1995 – 1999 Who’s Who in America.
1993 Summer The Journal of the Print World, review.
March 14 The New York Times, review.
March 12 The Daily Oklahoman, review.
1990 Dec. 13 The Capital Times, review.
April 28 The Washingtion Post, review.
March 25 The New York Times, review.
Summer The Journal of the Print World, review.
Selected Collections
- additional collections available on request Arkansas Arts Center Foundation, Little Rock, AR
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Brooklyn Museum, NYC
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI
Elvehjem Museum of Art, U of Wisconsin-Madison
Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, HI
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Metropolitan Museum, Miami, FL
Museo de Arte Moderno, Cali, Columbia
National Academy, NY, NY
National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC
New York Public Library, NY
Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, MA
United States Information Agency, Prague, Czech.
Alberta College of Art, Alberta, Canada
Albion College, Albion, MI
Alma College, Alma, MI
Art Center, South Bend, IN
AT&T Corporate HQ, Plainfield, NJ
Boston Printmakers, Boston, MA
Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Columbia Green Community College, Hudson, NY
Columbus State University, Columbus, GA
Davidson College, Davidson, NC
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
Georgia State University – Atlanta
Hope College, Holland, MI
Hunterdon Art Center, Clinton, NJ
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Madison Art Center, Madison, WI
Marui Imai Inc., Sapporo, Japan
Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, WI
Minot Art Association, Minot, ND
North Carolina Print/Drawing Society, Charlotte, NC
North Texas State University – Denton
Ohio University – Athens
Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma State University, OK
Quad Graphics, Milwaukee, WI
Silvermine Guild of Arts, New Canaan, CT
Springfield College, Springfield, MA
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
State University of New York – Fredonia
State University of New York – Potsdam
Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ
University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
University of Colorado-Boulder
University of Dallas, TX
University of Louisville, Louisville, KN
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
University of North Dakota – Grand Forks
University of South Dakota – Vermillion
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
West Chester State College, West Chester, PA
Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green
Private Collections
Carla Leighton, New York, NY
Marc Hauser, Chicago, IL
Michael John Hofer, Chicago, IL
Drs. Mark & Helene Connolly, River Forest, IL
Jamie Kalikow, New York, NY
Dianne & Jim Blanco, Chicago, IL
Denise Roberge, Palm Desert, CA
Tish & Philip Messinger, Creskill, NJ
Brian Wesphal & Michael McVicker, Chicago, IL
Ralph Privoznik, Lafayette, IN
Candice Groot, Evanston, IL
Shoemaker/Ruud Collection, Chicago, IL
Braden Berkey and Robert Bartlett, Chicago, IL
Bill and Karyn Silverstein, Highland Park, IL
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