Being officially proclaimed, by government order, the “Cultural Year of Dimitrie Cantemir and Ciprian Porumbescu”, 2023 is also the year when the Romanian renowned painter, Ciprian Istrate, has completed an impressive artistic work by which he expresses his vision about the above mentioned personalities. The portraits were painted on travertine and will be displayed as part of a special project meant to keep alive the importance of the cultural and spiritual heritage of both Ciprian Porumbescu and Dimitrie Cantemir, two of the most important Romanian cultural ambassadors. Cantemir is widely known as a wise ruler, a renowned scholar, a musicologist, an orientalist, being the first Romanian member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. Due to his widespread virtues and talents, Cantemir was also named “Lorenzo Medici of Romania”. As for Ciprian Porumbescu, he is a widely-known and appreciated Romanian classical music composer who studied music with Karol Mikuli, a former student of Chopin and later director of the Conservatory in Lemberg, today’s Lvov. When face to face with Giuseppe Verdi, the great master of opera, Porumbescu sung a Romanian folk song, doina, Verdi told him: “It’s a miracle, I do not know this song, but I think I’ve heard it somewhere, please, play more, young man”.
The portraits signed by Ciprian Istrate, depicting the images of Cantemir and Porumbescu, have been chosen by state institutions for official events in order to introduce, familiarize and to further immerse the public in the depths of Romanian culture.
