The wonderful day we had all expected finally arrived. The sky was clear & blue, the wind in your hair, the sun in your eyes, all in all an atmosphere fit to our mood. Everybody, but especially the foreigners, was anxious to see the museum we had bribed about the whole way. Finally we arrived. We all went in and listened to the story tol by the guide about different aspects of Romania's most faimous painter's life.

In the summer of 1871 Nicolae Grigorescu made a longer stop in Campina. But the little town hadn't caught his eye yet.... In 1876 he returns here and leaves for a trip in Bucegi,with a last stop at the Dambovicioara cave. It is only in 1892 that Grigorescu settles down in Campina where he will buy an old mancion situated on a hill overlooking some little towns in Prahova county.

We also found out that in 1904 the painter manages to have built a new home, at the present location of the museum, a home made to his taste but in tune with local architectural style. In this home he had his own workshop where he accomplished his greatest pieces of art.

During his travels in Turkey he purchased local traditional objects (mostly wood and used for ritual), which he brought home to paint. Now these oriental pieces are displayed at the entrance hall. I think it is a wonderful thing to actually see what the painter drew on. You can admire the pieces in the hall and the painting of them in the next room. We also noticed that they were painted at one moment of the day and you could see the painter's point of view on the painting and how he chose to present the light effects with the help of shades.

As Campina is a rural town, Grigorescu's paintings are mostly inspired by country life. His favorite themes were the country people (peasants and their daily work) as well as carts pulled by oxen. I don't know what the foreigners saw these paintings (common, but beautiful pieces of art) but for the Romanian group it was different. It gives you a warm feeling inside seeing your country put on a sheet of paper. You can find in his pictures everything that belongs to you, everything traditional-Romanian. During the Independence War he accompanied the troops on the battlefield, which enabled him to paint dramatic war scenes. The most famous is "The Smardan siege". His favorite painting illustrates a brushes support equipped with paint brushes, painting which he refused to sell. The foreigners made a remark quite known to us: most of the paintings were painted in shades of black and white.

During the First World War his house was burned down, but it was totally rebuilt after the Second World War. It is now a Memorial Museum, which replicates his home and workshop, with original pieces of furniture and objects belonging to the greatest Romanian painter (his glasses, brushes, colors palette). Numerous paintings, as well as documents showing aspects of his life like photos, books, and carpets.

The museum also shows an unfinished portrait of a country woman, displayed on the original easel. The painting is called "La izvoare" and it shows a country woman in a rather pensive mood. She appears to be thinking of the troubles the country life involves. Her mood is wonderfully rendered by the alternative shades on her face. As the guide kept telling us stories, we wondered around the museum, studying the paintings that impressed us the most.

We also found out that at the same time with the opening of the museum in 1957, a bronze statue of Nicolae Grigorescu was erected in the yard.

Leaving for Brebu, we all agreed that The Memorial Museum of Nicolae Grigorescu is an important touristic sight of both Campina and Prahova County.

Ilie Irina, IX F1
Bara Brandusa, IX F1

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