Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm
Signed on the reverse
Nicolae Latunov – “Girl with a Carrying Pole”
This atmospheric genre scene depicts a young woman walking along a forest path carrying a wooden carrying pole with buckets suspended from it. Her relaxed, slightly dance-like pose lends this everyday activity an extraordinary lightness, grace, and an almost poetic quality.
The subject is depicted in traditional attire: a white, loose-fitting dress with wide sleeves and a dark, ornately trimmed apron. Her light silhouette stands out clearly against the lush greenery of the forest, becoming the focal point of the composition. Her subtly tilted head, delicate facial features, and wind-tossed hair emphasize her youth and natural beauty.
The artist skillfully combines figurative precision with a more free-flowing approach to painting the surrounding nature. Light filtering through the tree canopies illuminates the path, the fabric of the dress, and fragments of vegetation, creating the atmosphere of a sunny summer day. Varied shades of green, blue, and warm browns build the depth of the landscape, while the visible brushstrokes lend the scene a freshness and painterly energy.
The carrying pole with buckets is not merely an element of the rural landscape. It may symbolize daily toil, balance, and the strength hidden beneath apparent delicacy. Despite the weight, the woman moves with elegance and calm, making the scene a celebration of the simple life, closeness to nature, and the beauty found in ordinary moments.
It is a composition full of light, harmony, and subtle nostalgia, drawing on the tradition of European genre painting. The painting captivates with its feminine charm, romantic atmosphere, and decorative color palette, which brings warmth and natural freshness to any interior.
Nicolae Latunov is a Moldovan painter, printmaker, portraitist, sculptor, and creator of Venetian masks, living and working in Chișinău. He is a versatile artist who moves freely between classical painting, drawing, watercolor, printmaking, sculpture, papier-mâché, and applied arts.
Education and UNESCO Scholarship
Latunov completed his art studies at the Moldovan Academy of Music, Theater, and Fine Arts. He then received a scholarship granted with the support of the National Commission of the Republic of Moldova for UNESCO, which enabled him to continue his education in Florence. In Italy, he completed a master’s degree in graphic arts and expanded his knowledge of art history and culture.
His time in Florence, followed by his connections to Venice, played an important role in shaping his artistic technique. There, the artist encountered traditional methods of making Venetian masks and gradually mastered this craft at a professional level. The masks he crafted by hand found their way to Venice and to audiences in other countries.
Paintings
However, painting remains the most important part of Nicolae Latunov’s body of work. The artist creates oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, and graphic works, primarily addressing the following themes:
portraiture, genre scenes, history painting, symbolic art, landscapes, and animal studies.
Portraiture holds a special place in his work. Latunov created an extensive series of portraits of Moldovan residents and individuals whose personalities or features piqued his interest. In his portrait work, he employs various techniques—ranging from oil painting to pencil and printmaking—selecting the medium based on the model’s character and the intended mood of the work.
The artist does not limit himself to a single, strictly defined style. He describes his method as an individual creative language, developed intuitively by combining his experiences in painting, printmaking, and sculpture. His works are characterized by meticulous drawing, clear chiaroscuro modeling, an interest in the human face, and a commitment to traditional representational techniques.
Latunov’s landscapes reveal an interest in light, atmosphere, and the transience of nature. During the international plein air workshop and the exhibition “Impresii de la Voroneț,” the artist presented paintings inspired by the landscape of Bukovina and the work of Nicolae Grigorescu, focusing on the relationship between light, color, and mood.
Interdisciplinary Artist
Latunov also designs masks and objects for the theater. He was responsible for creating the masks for the documentary play “Podul de Piatră. Elegia celor de la km distanță” by the Alexie Mateevici Theater.
His masks are created using a traditional, multi-step method, including papier-mâché. For the artist, they are not merely decorative objects—each should have its own character and symbolism and convey a specific idea. This approach places his work at the intersection of painting, sculpture, set design, and theater.
Current Activities
Nicolae Latunov pursues artistic and educational activities in Chișinău. He is affiliated with the Plai Gallery, whose activities include art, design, art education, and the organization of cultural events.
The artist also conducts classes for children and teenagers. He teaches painting, drawing, watercolor, modeling, and mask-making, emphasizing the importance of patience, observation, and the development of each student’s individual imagination.
The Significance of His Work
Nicolae Latunov’s work stems from the convergence of several traditions: his academic training in Moldova, the Italian artistic culture he encountered in Florence and Venice, and his personal attachment to the people and landscapes of his homeland.
His body of work is not limited to a single discipline. It encompasses classical painting, portraiture, landscape, printmaking, sculpture, spatial objects, and theater. As a result, Latunov remains an artist with a recognizable, individual creative personality, combining traditional technique with his own language for depicting people, nature, and history.
