Romania’s Brukenthal National Museum to exhibit works by Gustav Klimt

From November 24 to 26, Romania’s Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu will exhibit for the first time two works signed by Gustav Klimt – "Spring" and "Summer," alongside Theodor Aman's painting "Carol I." 

The three works, part of the Peleș National Museum's heritage, have been restored in the laboratory of the Brukenthal National Museum, a premiere in the field for Romania.

One of Gustav Klimt's most important decorative ensembles, created between 1884 and 1885, is located in the Theater Room of Peleș Castle. Ordered by King Carol I, the founder of the royal residence in Sinaia, the decorative ensemble entitled "Muses, Masks, Allegories, Emblems" is revealing of Klimt’s talent. Although influenced by late academicism with a symbolist nuance, the works anticipate the innovative spirit of his painting. 

"It was an honor to have in Sibiu, under custody, two oil works by Gustav Klimt, and for the Restoration Laboratory of the Brukenthal National Museum to restore these important pieces from the Peleș National Museum, the only institution in Romania that houses several works signed by the Austrian artist and decorator Gustav Klimt. From the Peleș National Museum, we received two works in Sibiu: 'Spring' and 'Summer.' The works are classified in the Treasure category and, according to current legislation, must be restored by restorers with the title of expert in a laboratory certified by the Ministry of Culture,” said the manager of the Brukenthal National Museum, Dr. Alexandru Chituță. 

He also added that the five experts who worked on the restoration of the paintings are top of their field and that the laboratory of the Brukenthal National Museum has been certified since 2011.

The three works will be presented to the public at the Brukenthal National Museum, and explanations about the restoration work will be provided alongside these works to visitors.

“In 2023, the Peleș National Museum and the Brukenthal National Museum launched a partnership for the restoration of treasure works from the royal painting collection in Sinaia. One of the first portraits of King Carol I, after ascending the throne of Romania in 1868, was created by the great national painter Theodor Aman. The work, an official portrait of the ruler from the Hohenzollern dynasty, shows the young sovereign at the beginning of his reign, in military uniform, holding in his right hand the scroll with the promulgation decree of the young Constitution of Romania. Emblematic of the series of royal portraits, Aman's work is the only portrait created by a major Romanian painter. Preserved in the Peleș National Museum storerooms for decades, in a precarious state of conservation, this year Aman's work will come back to life," emphasized the manager of the Peleș National Museum, Dr. Narcis Dorin Ion. 

The painting restoration team at the Brukenthal National Museum consists of Ioan Muntean, Cristina Fău, Andrei Popa, Ilie Mitrea, and Celestina Albișor, and the project was financed by the Ministry of Culture.

After being presented in Sibiu, the paintings will be transported to the Peleș National Museum in Sinaia, where they will be exhibited in the Theater Room of Peleș Castle.

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(Photo source: Peles National Museum on Facebook)