Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești (; born Alexandru Bogdan, also known as Ion Doican, Ion Duican and Al. Dodan; June 13, 1870 – May 12, 1922) was a

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

poet, essayist, and art and literary critic, who was also known as a journalist and

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

political agitator. A wealthy landowner, he invested his fortune in patronage and art collecting, becoming one of the main local promoters of

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

, and a sponsor of the Romanian Symbolist movement. Together with other

Post-Impressionist Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction a ...

and Symbolist cultural figures, Bogdan-Pitești established ''Societatea Ileana'', which was one of the first Romanian associations dedicated to promoting the

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

and independent art. He was also noted for his friendship with the writers

Joris-Karl Huysmans Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (, ; 5 February 1848 – 12 May 1907) was a French novelist and art critic who published his works as Joris-Karl Huysmans (, variably abbreviated as J. K. or J.-K.). He is most famous for the novel (1884, pub ...

Alexandru Macedonski Alexandru Macedonski (; also rendered as Al. A. Macedonski, Macedonschi or Macedonsky; 14 March 1854 – 24 November 1920) was a Romanian poet, novelist, dramatist and literary critic, known especially for having promoted French Symbolism (arts ...

Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...

and

Mateiu Caragiale Mateiu Ion Caragiale (; – 17 January 1936), also credited as Matei or Matheiu, or in the antiquated version Mateiŭ,Sorin Antohi"Romania and the Balkans. From Geocultural Bovarism to Ethnic Ontology" in ''Tr@nsit online'', Institut für die Wi ...

, as well as for sponsoring, among others, the painters

Ștefan Luchian Ștefan Luchian (, last name also spelled Lukian; 1 February 1868 – 28 June 1916) was a Romanian painter, famous for his landscapes and still life works. Biography Early life Luchian was born in Ștefănești, a village of Botoșani County, ...

, Constantin Artachino and

Nicolae Vermont Nicolae Vermont (10 October 1866 – 14 June 1932) was a Romanian realist painter, graphic artist and muralist. He was noted for his wide range of subjects and his interest in social issues, and was an associate of the post-Impressionists Ştefa ...

. In addition to his literary and political activities, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was himself a painter and graphic artist. Much of Bogdan-Pitești's controversial political career, inaugurated by his support for

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

, was dedicated to activism and support for revolution. He also had an interest in the

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

, and maintained close contacts with Joséphin "Sâr" Péladan—sponsoring Péladan's journey to

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

(1898). He was detained by the authorities at various intervals, including an arrest for

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...

during the 1899 election, and was later found guilty of having

blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...

ed the banker

Aristide Blank Aristide or Aristid Blank, also spelled Blanc or Blanck (January 1, 1883 – January 1, 1960), was a Romanian financier, economist, arts patron and playwright. His father, Mauriciu Blank, an Jewish assimilation, assimilated and naturalized Histor ...

. Late in his life, he led ''

Seara Seara is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina in the South region of Brazil. The Museu Entomológico Fritz Plaumann is located in the town. See also *List of municipalities in Santa Catarina This is a list of the municipalities in t ...

'', a

Germanophile A Germanophile, Teutonophile, or Teutophile is a person who is fond of Culture of Germany, German culture, Germans, German people and Germany in general, or who exhibits German patriotism in spite of not being either an ethnic German or a German ...

daily, as well as a literary and political circle which came to oppose Romania's entry into

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on the

Entente Powers The Allies or the Entente (, ) was an international military coalition of countries led by the French Republic, the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the United States, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Empire of Japan against the Central Powers ...

' side. He was arrested one final time upon the end of the war, by which time he had become the object of public hatred. The enduring mysteries and contradictions of Bogdan-Pitești's career have since drawn interest from several generations of art and literary historians.

Biography

Early life and anarchism

A native of

Pitești Pitești () is a city in Romania, located on the river Argeș (river), Argeș. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated in th ...

, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was the son of a landowner from Olt,Tudor Vianu, p.370 and, on his father's side, the descendant of immigrants from the

Epirote Epirus () is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian Mountains in ...

area of

Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

, whose ethnicity was either AromanianCernat, ''Avangarda'', p.42 Constantin Coroiu
"Pluta de naufragiu (2)"
, in '' Evenimentul'', December 30, 2002 or

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

Krikor Zambaccian Krikor is a Western Armenian given name, equivalent to Eastern Armenian given name Grigor and the English equivalent Gregory and its variants in different languages. A diminutive of the name is Koko. A variant is Kirkor. Notable people with the n ...

, Chapter VIII: "Al. Bogdan-Pitești", i
''Însemnările unui amator de artă''
published and hosted by LiterNet. Retrieved July 14, 2007. His father became a local leader of the Conservative Party. His mother was a

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia and Wallachia (and later Romania), Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. C ...

ess, and, as art collector and memoirist Krikor Zambaccian recounted, may have been a descendant of the Balotescu boyar clan. Bogdan-Pitești also had a sister, Elena Constanța Bogdan; both she and her mother reportedly survived his death.Veronica Marinescu, "Un «prinț al artelor» uitat de vreme. Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești și Vlaiciul primelor tabere de creație", in ''

Curierul Național Curierul Național is a Romanian daily newspaper founded by Valentin Păunescu and Adrian Sârbu, along with five other shareholders, including George Constantin Păunescu and Sergiu Nicolaescu. The first issue was published in Bucharest on Decembe ...

'', July 22, 2006 As one of his eccentricities, Bogdan-Pitești encouraged the—unsustainable—rumor that he was a direct descendant of an ancient

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

n ruling house, the Basarab Princes. According to at least one account, Bogdan-Pitești was educated in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, at a local

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

institution. Raised in the

Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...

faith, he converted to Catholicism in his twenties, but was no longer a practicing Catholic by the time of his death. He supposedly attended medical school at the

University of Montpellier The University of Montpellier () is a public university, public research university located in Montpellier, in south-east of France. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous opera ...

, without ever graduating, and afterwards left to join the

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

milieu of Paris. He may have enrolled at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

, studying Law and Letters, but probably withdrew after a short while. Art historian Sanda Miller recounts that Bogdan-Pitești attended the ''

École des Beaux-Arts ; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...

'' in the French capital, but that he was ultimately expelled.Sanda Miller, "Paciurea's Chimeras", in ''

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

'', October 2003 Other sources express doubt that the Romanian aristocrat was ever affiliated with any university or college, in either France or

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. According to literary historian

Tudor Vianu Tudor Vianu (; January 8, 1898 – May 21, 1964) was a Romanian literary criticism, literary critic, art critic, poet, philosopher, academic, and translation, translator. He had a major role on the reception and development of Modernism in Liter ...

, at that stage, the young man began associating with the criminal underworld. He soon established a connection with the

French anarchist Anarchism in France can trace its roots to thinker Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who grew up during the Restoration and was the first self-described anarchist. French anarchists fought in the Spanish Civil War as volunteers in the International Brigad ...

circles, while also associating with a branch of the growing

Symbolist movement Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

. Like others in his generation, he may have been driven by a desire for shocking and morbid experiences. According to art historian Theodor Enescu, these ranged from erotic experimentation to the "boisterous shivers of anarchism", and from criminal enterprise to decadent poetry. Bogdan-Pitești was a presence in the anarchist group of

Auguste Vaillant Auguste Vaillant (; 27 December 1861 – 5 February 1894) was a French anarchist known for his bomb attack on the French Chamber of Deputies on 9 December 1893. The French government's reaction to this attack was the passing of the infamous rep ...

(later guillotined for plotting a terrorist coup), and was possibly acquainted with some of the more prestigious anarchist intellectuals:

Élisée Reclus Jacques Élisée Reclus (; 15 March 18304 July 1905) was a French geographer, writer and anarchist. He produced his 19-volume masterwork, ''La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes'' ("Universal Geography"), over a period of ...

Laurent Tailhade Laurent Tailhade (; April 16, 1854, Tarbes – November 1, 1919, Combes-la-Ville) was a French satirical poet, anarchist polemicist, essayist, and translator, active in Paris in the 1890s and early 1900s. In April 1894, Tailhade was injured in ...

and (especially influential on him)

Félix Fénéon Félix Fénéon (; 22 June 1861 – 29 February 1944) was a French art critic, gallery director, writer and anarchist during the late 19th century and early 20th century. He coined the term '' Neo-Impressionism'' in 1886 to identify a group of ...

.Teacă, p.52-53 Reports exist that Bogdan-Pitești's politics were already a merger of opposite or hardly compatible doctrines. He respected Catholicism and

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

as the most elevated religious cultures, rejected Orthodoxy,

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...

and

communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...

as ideologies for the mediocre, and depicted himself as a Catholic anarchist. He believed in

craniometry Craniometry is measurement of the cranium (the main part of the skull), usually the human cranium. It is a subset of cephalometry, measurement of the head, which in humans is a subset of anthropometry, measurement of the human body. It is d ...

, and took

scientific racism Scientific racism, sometimes termed biological racism, is the pseudoscience, pseudoscientific belief that the Human, human species is divided into biologically distinct taxa called "race (human categorization), races", and that empirical evi ...

at face value. At some stage during the late 1880s, Bogdan-Pitești became a supporter of

General Boulanger Georges Ernest Jean-Marie Boulanger (29 April 1837 – 30 September 1891), nicknamed Général Revanche ("General Revenge"), was a French general and politician. An enormously popular public figure during the second decade of the Third Repub ...

, who attempted to gain power in France with support from the

Orléanist Orléanist () was a 19th-century French political label originally used by those who supported a constitutional monarchy expressed by the House of Orléans. Due to the radical political changes that occurred during France in the long nineteenth ...

Bonapartist Bonapartism () is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used in the narrow sense to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In ...

and

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

camps; he reputedly befriended the prominent Boulangist and

Romantic nationalist Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

thinker

Maurice Barrès Auguste-Maurice Barrès (; 19 August 1862 – 4 December 1923) was a French novelist, journalist, philosopher, and politician. Spending some time in Italy, he became a figure in French literature with the release of his work ''The Cult of the S ...

. In parallel, he himself became a representative of literary and artistic Symbolism, and supposedly maintained contacts with authors such as

Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in ...

Octave Mirbeau Octave Henri Marie Mirbeau (; 16 February 1848 – 16 February 1917) was a French novelist, art critic, travel writer, pamphleteer, journalist and playwright, who achieved celebrity in Europe and great success among the public, whilst still app ...

Jean Moréas Jean Moréas (; born Ioannis A. Papadiamantopoulos, Ιωάννης Α. Παπαδιαμαντόπουλος; 15 April 1856 – 31 March 1910) was a Greek poet, essayist, and art critic, who wrote mostly in the French language but also in Greek dur ...

, and

Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine ( ; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolism (movement), Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' ...

. Another influence on him was the

ist and novelist

Joséphin Péladan Joséphin Péladan (28 March 1858 – 27 June 1918) was a French novelist and Rosicrucian who later briefly joined the Martinist order led by Papus (Gérard Encausse). His father was a journalist who had written on prophecies, and professed ...

, whose Rosicrucian salon he attended several times. Bogdan-Pitești debuted as a writer and political essayist. It was later reported, but not confirmed, that he published his pieces in newspapers and magazines of diverse backgrounds—''

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'', ''

Le Gaulois () was a French daily newspaper, founded in 1868 by Edmond Tarbé and Henry de Pène. After a printing stoppage, it was revived by Arthur Meyer in 1882 with notable collaborators Paul Bourget, Alfred Grévin, Abel Hermant, and Ernest Dau ...

'', ''

Gil Blas ''Gil Blas'' ( ) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably by Tobias Smollett in 1748 as ''The Adventures of Gil Blas of S ...

'', ''

L'Intransigeant ''L'Intransigeant'' was a French newspaper founded in July 1880 by Henri Rochefort. Initially representing the left-wing opposition, it moved towards the right during the Boulanger affair (Rochefort supported Boulanger) and became a major right-wi ...

'' and ''

La Libre Parole ''La Libre Parole'' or ''La Libre Parole illustrée'' () was a French antisemitic political newspaper founded in 1892 by journalist and polemicist Édouard Drumont. History Claiming to adhere to theses close to socialism, ''La Libre Parol ...

'' among them. He also claimed to have played a part in staging the first Genevan showing of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's ''

Die Walküre (; ''The Valkyrie''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86B, is the second of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was ...

''.

''Salonul Independenților''

Placed under surveillance due to his involvement in revolutionary politics by 1894,Boia, p.189 Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was eventually expelled from France, despite Huysmans' intervention in his favor. Reputedly, the deportation document identified him as a "threat to public order".Ionescu, ''Mișcarea...'', p.234 One urban legend recounts that Bogdan-Pitești was present at Vaillant's public execution and leaned over to kiss Vaillant's mangled body, which both disgusted and alarmed the judicial establishment. Zambaccian suggests that the decision to deport the Romanian provocateur was not politically motivated. He writes that Bogdan-Pitești had exhausted the patience of French authorities by trafficking in stolen bicycles. From France, Bogdan-Pitești had contemplated the idea of revolutionizing

Romanian art Romanian art consists of the visual and plastic arts (including Romanian architecture, woodwork, textiles, and ceramics) originating from the geographical area of Romania. The production of art in Romania is as old as the Paleolithic, an example ...

, and, upon his arrival to Bucharest, began organizing artists' reunions at the Kübler and Fialkowski coffeehouses.Rus, p.79 In 1896, with

artists Constantin Artachino,

and

, he founded ''Salonul Independenților'', the Romanian replica of the French ''

Société des Artistes Indépendants The Société des Artistes Indépendants (, ''Society of Independent Artists'') or Salon des Indépendants was formed in Paris on 29 July 1884. The association began with the organization of massive exhibitions in Paris, choosing the slogan "''sa ...

''. Adrian-Silvan Ionescu
"Artachino"
in ''

Observator Cultural ''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...

'', Nr. 222, May 2004 They were soon joined by painter Nicolae Grant and caricaturist

Nicolae Petrescu-Găină Nicolae may refer to: * Nicolae (name), an Aromanian and Romanian name * ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel See also *Nicolai (disambiguation) *Nicolao Nicolao is an Italian given name and a surname. It may refer to the following: Given name *Ni ...

.Jianu & Comarnescu, p.35 The exhibits featured some of Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești's own drawings, which he intended to use as illustrations for his book of

French-language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in ...

poems, ''Sensations internes'' ("Internal Sensations"). He planned for his art movement to reach outside Romania, and, also in 1896, financed an international exhibition of independent and

artists. ''Salonul'' was known for its public protest against

academic art Academic art, academicism, or academism, is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. This method extended its influence throughout the Western world over several centuries, from its origins i ...

: located just outside the

Romanian Athenaeum The Romanian Athenaeum () is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest, Romania, and a landmark of the Romanian capital city. Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city's most prestigious concert hall and home of the "Geor ...

building (a main venue for local

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

), it put up Petrescu Găină's huge caricature of academic artist C. I. Stăncescu, and flew a

red flag Red flag may refer to: Signs and warnings * Red flag (idiom), a literal or metaphorical warning * Red flag (American slavery), signal of an upcoming slave sale * Red flag warning, issued by the National Weather Service in the United States * ...

next to it. This call to socialist rebellion attracted public attention, and the flag was urgently taken down by agents of the

Romanian Police The Romanian Police (, , ) is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and it is led by a General Inspector with the rank of Secretary of State. Duties T ...

. The subsequent exhibitions were viewed with sympathy by a section of the press, including the leftist newspaper ''

Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...

''. It republished pieces ridiculing Stăncescu in his role of official curator, and made favorable comments on all of the ''Salonul Independenților'' artists. Noting the leader's own anarchist past, ''Adevărul'' art columnist Gal wrote: "Bogdan has all the qualities and flaws of a sincere French revolutionary, but one who is not entirely clear and scientific. He has an extraordinary love for all things independent and hates to the point of excess all sectarian people, and all schools." In June 1896, the group of "secessionists" was commissioned to decorate Bragadiru Garden, where Romania's press held its annual fair. The show, attended by Bogdan-Pitești, prominently featured Stăncescu's caricature at the entrance. Despite rhetoric, the new art club was not entirely opposed to tradition, and occasionally appealed to it as a basis for cultural reconstruction. ''Salonul'' boasted among its honorary members the lionized oil painter

Nicolae Grigorescu Nicolae Grigorescu (; 15 May 1838 – 21 July 1907) was one of the founders of modern Romanian painting. He is considered by Romanians the greatest Romanian painter, and one of the founders of modern Romanian art. He is most known for paintin ...

, who had trained with the Barbizon school.Lassaigne & Enescu, p.51 Bogdan-Pitești was especially fond of Luchian's work, and, in an 1896 article for the cultural magazine ''Revista Orientală'', spoke of him as "an admirable colorist", a "free spirit", and a purveyor of "revolutionary ideas". He boosted Luchian's self-confidence, urging him to apply his talents to illustrating "an idea", and was entirely adverse to Grigorescu's traditionalist manner. Luchian still used Grigorescu as a source of inspiration in his own work, prompting scholars to argue that Grigorescu's ''Salonul Independenților'' reception was Bogdan-Pitești's unwilling concession to his star protégé.

''Literatorul'', ''Bronzes'', ''Ileana''

Bogdan-Pitești was by then an inspiration for the blooming Romanian Symbolist movement. In effect, he was the first Romanian expert on the work of Symbolist celebrities like

Odilon Redon Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; ; 20 April 18406 July 1916) was a French Symbolist painting, Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter. Early in his career, both before and after fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, Redon worked almost exc ...

Gustave Moreau Gustave Moreau (; 6 April 1826 – 18 April 1898) was a French artist and an important figure in the Symbolist movement. Jean Cassou called him "the Symbolist painter par excellence".Cassou, Jean. 1979. ''The Concise Encyclopedia of Symbolism ...

, and (his favorite) Alexandre Séon. He soon became a contributor to ''Literatorul'', a Symbolist magazine, and was close friends with its founder,

. In 1897, he was chosen by the latter to edit and promote his book of French-language poems, ''Bronzes''. In the end, Bogdan-Pitești provided the funds needed for ''Bronzes'' to be published in Paris. It came out with an introductory note, in which Bogdan-Pitești favorably compared Macedonski with arch-rival

Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...

. In more general terms, the preface showed Bogdan-Pitești as an unyielding

Francophile A Francophile is a person who has a strong affinity towards any or all of the French language, History of France, French history, Culture of France, French culture and/or French people. That affinity may include France itself or its history, lang ...

, who reported with alarm that Romania risked being seduced and then engulfed by

German culture The culture of Germany has been shaped by its central position in Europe and a history spanning over a millennium. Characterized by significant contributions to art, music, philosophy, science, and technology, German culture is both diverse and ...

. Himself a disciple of Macedonski, T. Vianu comments that Bogdan-Pitești was probably unsuited for the task of introducing ''Bronzes'', and that, despite expectations, the volume failed to impress the French public. He notes the virtually complete lack of press reviews—with the notable exception of a May 1898 article in ''

Mercure de France The () was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group. The gazette was publis ...

'', written by the Symbolist-anarchist

Pierre Quillard Pierre Quillard (14 July 18644 February 1912) was a French Symbolism (arts), symbolist poet, playwright, Literary criticism, literary critic, Philosophy, philosopher, Classics, Hellenist translator, and History of French journalism, journalist. ...

. Later in 1898, back in Romania, Bogdan-Pitești and the other ''Salonul Independenților'' initiators joined up with author Ioan Bacalbașa and architect Ștefan Ciocâlteu. This diverse group established ''Societatea Ileana'', an association dedicated to supporting innovative artists. Its steering committee was later joined by the intellectual and political figures

Constantin Rădulescu-Motru Constantin Rădulescu-Motru (; born Constantin Rădulescu, he added the surname ''Motru'' in 1892; February 15, 1868 – March 6, 1957) was a Romanian philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, logician, academic, dramatist, as well as Left-win ...

, Nicolae Xenopol, and

Nicolae Filipescu Nicolae Filipescu (December 5, 1862 – September 30, 1916) was a Romanian politician. Filipescu was the Mayor of Bucharest between February 1893 and October 1895. It was during his term the first electric tramways circulated in Bucharest. Betwe ...

, as well as by the painter

Jean Alexandru Steriadi Jean Alexandru Steriadi (29 October 1880 – 23 November 1956) was a Romanian painter and drawing artist. He made portraits and compositions based on a strong, expressive drawing; then he evolved towards impressionistic Impressionism was a ...

. The society took up the effort to uproot against academic salons, organizing a large and provocative exhibit in 1898, and, at the height of its popularity, enlisted in its ranks some 300 people. Despite such consolidation, various ''Ileana'' affiliates were not entirely committed to the cause, and never severed their links with Stănescu's official section. The new circle held meetings in a Brezoianu Street studio which was also its patron's home.Teacă, p.54 Its feminine name ''

Ileana Ileana is a feminine given name commonly used in Romanian and other Romance language-speaking countries such as Spain and Italy. Etymology and Meaning The name ''Ileana'' is derived from the Greek name ''Helénē'' (Ἑλένη), meaning "tor ...

'' was probably a borrowing from

Romanian folklore The folklore of Romania is the collection of traditions of the Romanians. A feature of Romanian culture is the special relationship between folklore and the learned culture, determined by two factors. First, the rural character of the Romania ...

, and may reference the

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

character

Ileana Cosânzeana Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Folklore of Romania, Romanian mythology. She is represented as a beautiful and good-natured princess or daughter of an Emperor, The group's press organ, also known as ''Ileana'', was edited by Bacalbașa and illustrated by Luchian. Described by Vianu as a "refined art magazine", it is also considered the first one of its kind in Romania.Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.43 In parallel, Bogdan-Pitești began frequenting the country's first socialist pressure group, the

Romanian Social Democratic Workers' Party The Social Democratic Workers' Party of Romania (, PSDMR), established in 1893, was the first modern socialist political party in Romania. A Marxist organization, the PSDMR was part of the Second International and sent its representatives to the f ...

(PSDMR), and attending meetings between Bucharest workers. The PSDMR denounced him as an ''

agent provocateur An is a person who actively entices another person to commit a crime that would not otherwise have been committed and then reports the person to the authorities. They may target individuals or groups. In jurisdictions in which conspiracy is a ...

'' of the Conservative Party, and he stood accused of breaking the party into tolerant and

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

halves.

Péladan's visit

As head of ''Ileana'', Bogdan-Pitești organized

's 1898 visit to Bucharest. It was a much-publicized event, which attracted the attention of high society and received ample coverage in the press; Bogdan-Pitești accompanied Péladan on visits to various Bucharest landmarks, including the Athenaeum, the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

, the Orthodox

Metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

and Domnița Bălașa churches, as well as the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Saint Joseph Cathedral.Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.42-43 Among the politicians who attended the ceremonies were Nicolae Filipescu,

Constantin Dissescu Constantin G. Dissescu (8 August 1854–10 August 1932) was a Romanian jurist and politician. Born in Slatina, Romania, Slatina, he was the son of a magistrate. After graduating from Saint Sava National College in Bucharest, Dissescu followed f ...

Take Ionescu Take or Tache Ionescu (; born Dumitru Ghiță Ioan and also known as Demetriu G. Ionnescu; – 21 June 1922) was a Romanian Centrism, centrist politician, journalist, lawyer and diplomat, who also enjoyed reputation as a short story author. Sta ...

Ioan Lahovary Ioan N. Lahovary or Ion Lahovari; January 25, 1844 – June 14, 1915) was a member of Romanian aristocracy, a politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania. Political career Ioan Lahovary was the brother ...

, and

Constantin C. Arion Constantin C. Arion (also known as Costică Arion; Constantin Țoiu"Fără șase 1OO (II)", in ''România Literară'', Nr. 37/2003 June 18, 1855 – June 27, 1923) was a Romanian politician, affiliated with the National Liberal Party, the ...

; prominent intellectuals (

Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea; pen name of Barbu Ștefan; April 11, 1858 – April 29, 1918) was a Romanian writer and poet, considered one of the greatest figures in the National awakening of Romania. Early life and studies He was born on April ...

, Rădulescu-Motru etc.) were in the audience. Péladan agreed to lecture in front of ''Societatea Ileana'' at the Atheneum, and his subject of choice was ''The Genius of the Latin Race''. His mystical doctrine was received with much skepticism and amusement by the Romanian literary chroniclers. The visit then turned to scandal: Péladan issued a call for all Romanians to embrace Catholicism, and left the country on pain of being deported. Various commentators are entirely dismissive of the visit and its importance. Th. Enescu describes its impact as "amazing", since Péladan was merely an "unusual 'funambulesc'' in the originalrepresentative of

French culture The culture of France has been shaped by Geography of France, geography, by History of France, historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high ...

". He also proposes that the reception, with its "noisy" and "exacerbated" fanfare, shows the "complexes of a provincial culture, confronted with the promiscuous exorbitance of a great culture". This assessment is quoted by literary historian

Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian l ...

, who also notes Péladan's "rather modest value" should not have allowed such reactions. Cernat concedes that the Péladan visit was important for promoting new cultural trends, specifically the notions of

art for art's sake Art for art's sake—the usual English rendering of (), a French slogan from the latter half of the 19th century—is a phrase that expresses the philosophy that 'true' art is utterly independent of all social values and utilitarian functions, b ...

and decadence, even though this was done "through the means ''of politics'' talics in the original. Cultural historian Angelo Mitchievici proposes that, modelling himself on Péladan, Bogdan-Pitești was becoming the "

spinmeister In public relations and politics, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event. While traditional public relations and advertising may manage their presentation of facts, "spin" often i ...

" of oriental Symbolism. As ''Ion Doican'' (or ''Duican''), he contributed to ''Ileana'' essays praising various contemporary painters: Arthur Verona,

George Demetrescu Mirea George Demetrescu Mirea (1852, in Câmpulung – 12 December 1934, in Bucharest) was a Romanian portrait painter, muralist and art teacher. Biography He was one of twelve children born to an Archpriest. His first art lessons were at the "Școala ...

, and, most of all, Luchian. ''Ileana'' only published a few issues before closing down in 1901. Bogdan-Pitești's collaborator Bacalbașa, known by then as a dramatist, also attended, but drifted away from the group in 1900, giving up his position as editor of ''Ileana''.Lassaigne & Enescu, p.110 A similar split occurred between Luchian and his patron, sparked when Bogdan-Pitești made some favorable comments on Stăncescu's work, and probably took several years to mend. Over that decade, Bogdan-Pitești had also become one of ''Literatorul''s main financial backers.Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.41 Writing in 1910, at a time when Romanian art came to be me more familiar with new artistic trends (including

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

and

Fauvism Fauvism ( ) is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of (, ''the wild beasts''), a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong col ...

, both advocated locally by art critic Theodor Cornel), Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești adapted his discourse to the new trends. The art patron, who probably exercised considerable influence over Cornel, publicly complained that, instead of keeping up with the times, his fellow Romanian intellectuals still regarded

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

as the ultimate novelty.Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.46 On the occasion, he hailed the Post-Impressionist French artists

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...

and

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

as the models to follow. He was actively seeking to mend his split with Luchian, and, although he called the painter "inconsistent", again stated that he found him to be Romania's best young artist.

Slatina revolt and Vlaici colony

After his return to Romania, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was still noted for his political activities, although these shifted to the background during his ''Ileana'' years. According to some reports, he spent some of his free time touring the countryside, rallying up peasants, inciting them to rebel, and mapping out a radical

land reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...

. During the general election of 1899, he ran for a deputy seat in both Olt and Ilfov, without registering success. There was confusion as to Bogdan-Pitești's political affiliation. He was known as "the peasants' candidate", but both sides of the Romanian

two-party system A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referr ...

, the National Liberal Party and the Conservative group, accused the other of secretly supporting his bid."O jale in România"
in ''Tribuna Poporului'', Nr. 114/1899, p. 2 (digitized by the

Babeș-Bolyai University The Babeș-Bolyai University ( , , commonly known as UBB) is a public research university located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Established in 1581 as Academia Claudiopolitana, it underwent several reorganizations over the centuries, eventually taking ...

br>Transsylvanica Online Library
During such campaigns, he is said to have misled his voters into believing that he was a son of the deposed ''

Domnitor ''Prince Domnitor'', in full ''Principe Domnitor'' (Romanian pl. ''Principi Domnitori'') was the official title of the ruler of Romania between 1862 and 1881. It was usually translated as "prince regnant" in English and most other languages, ...

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also Anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (prince) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as List of monarchs of Moldavia ...

, and therefore a natural champion of land reform. His activity in Olt is credited with having sparked some violent incidents: in at least one account, he instigated the peasants of Slatina area to riot, and their revolt was only suppressed with use of force. Others however claim that the

Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces. The Romanian Land Force ...

randomly shot at, then charged upon, the peaceful mass of demonstrators, killing at least 35 of them. The Slatina crisis reverberated in the capital and posed problems for the Conservative cabinet of

Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (22 September 1833 – 22 March 1913), was a Romanian politician and lawyer, one of the leading Conservative Party policymakers. Among his political posts were minister of public instruction in Romania, presid ...

. Reportedly, both the

Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

Nicolae Fleva Nicolae Fleva (; also known as Nicu Fleva, Correspondent"Scrisoare din București" in ''Românul (Arad)'', Nr. 14/1912, p.4 (digitized by the Babeș-Bolyai University]Transsylvanica Online Library Francization, Francized ''Nicolas Fléva'';

and the Ministry of Justice (Romania), Minister of Justice Dissescu were ready to hand in their resignations. Bogdan-Pitești himself was arrested for

, but soon after checked himself into Filantropia Hospital. He averted sentencing when the prosecutors were unable to conclusively prove this involvement. Overall, Bogdan-Pitești claimed to have been held in judicial custody for some forty separate incidents, stressing that all these convictions were owed to

political crime In criminology, a political crime or political offence is an offence that prejudices the interests of the state or its government. States may criminalise any behaviour perceived as a threat, real or imagined, to the state's survival, including ...

s—while reporting this statement, T. Vianu noted that at least some should in fact be considered punishments for various

misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than admi ...

s. In time, the anarchist boyar had also come to be known as an inveterate criminal and jailbird, which attracted him the disparaging moniker ''Bogdan-Văcărești'' (after

Văcărești Prison Văcărești Prison was a prison located in Bucharest, Romania. The prison, situated in the southern part of the city, was established in 1865 within the former , where defendants found guilty of press offenses had been held since 1861. It was a ...

in Bucharest). Others twisted his birth name into the parodic ''Bogdan-Ciupești'' (from ''a ciupi'', "to gyp"). Simona Vasilache
"Alintări"
, in ''

România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared ...

'', Nr. 26/2007 Bogdan-Pitești consolidated his own estate when he inherited a manor in Vlaici village (part of Colonești). It was, beginning in 1908, the center of his activities and home to his sizable art collection, as well as one of the first locations in Romania acting as a summer camp for painters and sculptors.Veronica Marinescu, "Conacul de la Vlaici al colecționarului Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești, într-o stare jalnică", in ''

'', August 12, 2004 The events he planned were attended by the ''Ileana'' regulars, and, in time, attracted virtually all other major ''

en plein air ''En plein air'' (; French language, French for 'outdoors'), or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein ai ...

'' painters of the day:

Nicolae Dărăscu Nicolae Dărăscu (February 18, 1883 – August 14, 1959) was a Romanian painter. He was influenced by Impressionism and Neo-impressionism. Biography Born in Giurgiu, he studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest between 1902 and ...

Ștefan Dimitrescu Ștefan Dimitrescu (January 18, 1886 – May 22, 1933) was a Romanian Post-Impressionism, Post-impressionist painter and draftsman. Biography Born in Huşi, Huși into a modest family, he completed his primary and secondary studies in his ho ...

Iosif Iser Iosif Iser (21 May 1881 – 25 April 1958; born and died in Bucharest) was a Romanian painter and graphic artist. Born to a History of the Jews in Romania, Jewish family, he was initially inspired by Expressionism, creating drawings with thick, ...

M. H. Maxy Max Hermann Maxy (also known as M. H. Maxy, born Max Herman; October 26, 1895 – July 19, 1971) was a Romanian painter, art professor, scenographer, and professor of German-Jewish descent. Early life and education Maxy was born in Brăila ...

Theodor Pallady Theodor Pallady (; 11 April 1871 – 16 August 1956) was a Romanian painter. Biography Theodor Pallady was the son of Ioan Pallady and Maria Cantacuzino, the older sister of Romanian diplomat Neculai B. Cantacuzino. He was born in Iași, Roman ...

Camil Ressu Camil Ressu (; 28 January 1880 – 1 April 1962) was a Romanian painter and academic, one of the most significant art figures of Romania. Biography Early life and career Born in Galați, Ressu came from an Aromanians, Aromanian family that mi ...

. In his recollections from that period, writer

Victor Eftimiu Victor Eftimiu (; 24 January 1889 – 27 November 1972) was a Romanian poet and playwright. He was a contributor to ''Sburătorul'', a Romanian literary magazine. His works have been performed in the State Jewish Theater of Romania. Eftimi ...

suggested that the relationship was not entirely harmonious: "Camil Ressu, like other young unknown painters, found a lot of support and encouragement with Bogdan-Pitești. Truth be told, the maecenate was rather thrifty, it profited from the needs of the debuting and impoverished artist. But without it things would've been much worse, since others did not even offer as much". He also argued that, contrary to speculation about his wealth, Bogdan-Pitești "maybe paid up so little because that is all he had to spare".Teacă, p. 57 Reputedly, the ''Ileana'' boss was losing a fortune on maintaining the Vlaici manor, surrounded as it was by barren land.

Știrbey-Vodă circle

Circa 1908, the Bogdan-Pitești villa on Bucharest's Știrbey-Vodă Street (near the

Cișmigiu Gardens The Cișmigiu Gardens or Cișmigiu Park () are a public park in the center of Bucharest, Romania, spanning areas on all sides of an artificial lake. The gardens' creation was an important moment in the history of Bucharest. They form the oldes ...

) began hosting regular gatherings of intellectuals. Among those who attended in successive stages were the writers Macedonski, Eftimiu,

Benjamin Fondane Benjamin Fondane () or Benjamin Fundoianu (; born Benjamin Wechsler, Wexler or Vecsler, first name also Beniamin or Barbu, usually abridged to B.; November 14, 1898 – October 2, 1944) was a Romanian and French poet, critic and existentialist ph ...

Gala Galaction Gala Galaction (; the pen name of Grigore or Grigorie Pișculescu ; April 16, 1879—March 8, 1961) was a Romanian Orthodox clergyman, theologian, writer, journalist, left-wing activist, as well as a political figure of the People's Republic ...

George Bacovia George Bacovia (; the pen name of Gheorghe Vasiliu ; – 22 May 1957) was a Romanian symbolist poet. While he initially belonged to the local Symbolist movement, launched as a poet by Alexandru Macedonski with the poem and poetry collection (" ...

Ion Minulescu Ion Minulescu (; 6 January 1881 – 11 April 1944) was a Romanian avant-garde poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist, literary critic, and playwright. Often publishing his works under the pseudonyms I. M. Nirvan and Koh-i-Noor (the latte ...

, Claudia Millian,

N. D. Cocea N. D. Cocea (common rendition of Nicolae Dumitru Cocea, , also known as Niculae, Niculici or Nicu Cocea; November 29, 1880 – February 1, 1949) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, critic and left-wing political activist, known as a major but c ...

Ion Vinea Ion Vinea (born Ioan Eugen Iovanaki, sometimes Iovanache; April 17, 1895 – July 6, 1964) was a Romanian poet, novelist, journalist, literary theorist, and political figure. He became active on the Modernist literature, modernist scene during hi ...

, F. Brunea-Fox,

Eugeniu Ștefănescu-Est Eugeniu Ștefănescu-Est (also known as Eugen Ștefănescu-Est or Eugeniu Est, born Eugeniu Gh. Ștefănescu; – March 12, 1980) was a Romanian poet, prose writer and visual artist, professionally active as a lawyer. He belonged to the local Sym ...

A. de Herz Adolf Edmund George de Herz, commonly shortened to A. de Herz, also rendered as Hertz and Herț (December 15, 1887 – March 9, 1936), was a Romanian playwright and literary journalist, also active as a poet, short story author, and stage actor. H ...

Ion Călugăru Ion Călugăru (; born Ștrul Leiba Croitoru, Ion Călugăru, Ioan Lăcustă''"Uzina care încearcă să gonească morții". Note nepublicate (1948)'' at thMemoria Digital Library retrieved February 17, 2010 also known as Buium sin Strul-Leiba Cro ...

, and

Adrian Maniu Adrian Maniu (February 6, 1891 – April 20, 1968) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, playwright, essayist, and translator. Born in Bucharest, his father Grigore, a native of Lugoj, was a jurist and professor of commercial law at the University o ...

. It also hosted the artists Luchian, Artachino, Verona, Maxy, Iser, Steriadi, Dimitrescu, Pallady, Ressu, Dărăscu, Nina Arbore,

Constantin Brâncuși Constantin Brâncuși (; February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter, and photographer who made his career in France. Considered one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a pioneer of modernism ...

, Constantin Medrea,

Dimitrie Paciurea Dimitrie Paciurea (; 2 November (1873 or 1875) – 14 July 1932) was a Romanian sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically pr ...

, Maria Ciurdea Steurer,

Oscar Han Oscar Han (3 December 1891 – 14 February 1976) was a Romanian sculptor and writer. Biography Han was born in Bucharest on 3 December 1891 to a father of German origin and a mother from Vrancea. From 1909 to 1914, he studied sculpture and ...

Nicolae Tonitza Nicolae Tonitza (; April 13, 1886 – February 27, 1940) was a Romanian painter, Engraving, engraver, Lithography, lithographer, journalist and art critic. Drawing inspiration from Post-Impressionism and Expressionism, he had a major role in ...

Ion Theodorescu-Sion Ion Theodorescu-Sion (; also known as Ioan Theodorescu-Sion or Teodorescu-Sion; January 2, 1882 – March 31, 1939) was a Romanian painter and draftsman, known for his contributions to modern art and especially for his traditionalist, primitivis ...

, Friedrich Storck and

Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck (14 March 1879, in Câineni, Câineni, Vâlcea – 29 October 1969, in Bucharest) was a Romanian painter with a strong influence on cultural life in the interwar period. She was a promoter of feminism, contributing to th ...

, as well as Abgar Baltazar, Alexandru Brătășanu, Alexandru Poitevin-Skeletti,

, Rodica Maniu, and

Marcel Janco Marcel Janco (, ; common rendition of the Romanian language, Romanian name Marcel Hermann Iancu ; 24 May 1895 – 21 April 1984) was a Romanian and Israeli visual artist, architect and art theorist. He was the co-inventor of Dadaism and a leading ...

. Also in 1908, following Iser's proposal, Bogdan-Pitești sponsored a Bucharest exhibit showcasing works by the renowned European painters

Demetrios Galanis Demetrios Galanis (, 17 May 1879, Athens – 20 March 1966, Paris) was an early twentieth-century Greek artist and friend of Picasso. In 1920, the year he completed his ''Seated Nude'' (private collection), he exhibited alongside such major fig ...

Jean-Louis Forain Jean-Louis Forain (; 23 October 1852 – 11 July 1931) was a French Impressionist painter and printmaker, working in media including oils, watercolour, pastel, etching and lithograph. Compared to many of his Impressionist colleagues, he was m ...

and

André Derain André Derain (, ; 10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. In 2025, all of Derain’s work entered the public domain in the United States. Life and career Early ...

. After 1910, his patronage took on new forms. Literary critic

Șerban Cioculescu Șerban Cioculescu (; 7 September 1902 – 25 June 1988) was a Romanian literary critic, literary historian and columnist who was born in Drobeta-Turnu Severin and died in Bucharest. He held teaching positions in Literature of Romania, Romanian ...

notes that, at least initially, his relationship with Mateiu Caragiale included a financial aspect, since Bogdan-Pitești inviting the destitute poet to dinner and provided him with funds. He was also granting lodging and material to various disadvantaged painters, as reported by his close friend Arghezi, and took a special interest in promoting the poetry of

Ștefan Petică Ștefan Petică (; January 20, 1877 – October 17, 1904) was a Romanian Symbolist poet, prose writer, playwright, journalist, and socialist activist. Born in the countryside of Tecuci, he displayed a voracious appetite for literature and philoso ...

(as well as that of Arghezi himself). Arghezi claimed that such influence and moral support were also "decisive" in at least one other case, that of Luchian. In his memoir of the period, linguist

Alexandru Rosetti Alexandru Rosetti (October 20, 1895 – February 27, 1990) was a Romanian linguist, editor, and memoirist. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Petre Rosetti Bălănescu, a lawyer and landowner, and his wife Zoe (''née'' Cornescu), whose father w ...

mentioned that, on a daily basis, Bogdan-Pitești invited "over a dozen artists" for supper at his home.

"Tudor Arghezi"
in ''

Cronica Română The ''Nuova Cronica'' (also: ''Nova Cronica'') or ''New Chronicles'' is a 14th-century history of Florence created in a Annals, year-by-year linear format and written by the Italian Banking, banker and official Giovanni Villani (c. 1276 or 1280 ...

'', April 8, 2004 Bogdan-Pitești's renewed his attacks on the Orthodox Church.

sees them as efforts to fabricate a religious alternative to the Orthodox mainstream, included in the larger phenomenon that was Symbolist

cosmopolitanism Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all human beings are members of a single community. Its adherents are known as cosmopolitan or cosmopolite. Cosmopolitanism is both prescriptive and aspirational, believing humans can and should be " world citizen ...

. However, Galaction, who was to end his life as an Orthodox priest, recorded that the Știrbey-Vodă circle accommodated people of very diverse backgrounds. At one time, they included, alongside Galaction himself, the Roman Catholic priest Carol Auner, the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

sculptor Storck, and the anarchist activist

Panait Mușoiu Panait Mușoiu (18 November 1864 – 14 November 1944) was a Romanian anarchist and socialist activist, the author of the first Romanian translation of ''The Communist Manifesto ''The Communist Manifesto'' (), originally the ''Manifesto o ...

. According to Cernat, Bogdan-Pitești's bohemian society also grouped people believed associated with the illegal activities, and was noted for its "

libertine A libertine is a person questioning and challenging most moral principles, such as responsibility or Human sexual activity, sexual restraints, and will often declare these traits as unnecessary, undesirable or evil. A libertine is especially som ...

" atmosphere. Galaction backed such interpretations, writing that the salon was also home to "a dozen con artists and prostitutes." The atmosphere was colloquial and free-spirited, to the point of being demeaning: story goes that the artists and writers were sometimes told licentious jokes, or had to endure grotesque farces. A

dandy A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance and personal grooming, refined language and leisurely hobbies. A dandy could be a self-made man both in person and ''persona'', who emulated the aristocratic style of l ...

, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești himself led a life of luxury, marked by excess, and had by then become a

drug addict Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...

Andrei Oișteanu Andrei Oișteanu (; born September 18, 1948) is a Romanian historian of religions and mentalities, ethnologist, cultural anthropologist, literary critic and novelist. Specialized in the history of religions and mentalities, he is also noted for ...

"Scriitorii români și narcoticele (5). Prima jumătate a secolului XX"
, in ''

Revista 22 ''Revista 22'' (''22 Magazine'') is a Romanian weekly magazine, issued by the Group for Social Dialogue and focused mainly on politics and culture. History and profile ''Revista 22'' was started in 1990. The first edition of the magazine was prin ...

'', Nr. 951, May–June 2008 He was a proud

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...

(or

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

), which did not prevent him from keeping as his concubine a younger woman, commonly referred to as ''Domnica'' ("Little Lady") or ''Mica'' ("Little One"). Born Alexandra Colanoski, she was born in 1894 to Romanian Poles from

Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

,Teacă, p.58 and, according to memoirist Constantin Beldie, had previously been a prostitute at a

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

. Herself a libertine, Domnica was described by researchers as an

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in humans, it often r ...

cross-dressing Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express onesel ...

presence. To other members of the Știrbey-Vodă circle, painter-designer Alexandru Brătășanu was introduced as Bogdan-Pitești's male lover. Theirs was a "degenerate" affair, according to Oscar Han; Han also quotes Bogdan-Pitești's admiration for the male body, including male genitalia, as the only physical beauties which could withstand time.

Cantacuzino Conservative and ''Seara''

Around 1912, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești's political influence was on the rise. He had begun associating with an inner faction of the Conservative Party, which had as its leader Grigore Gheorghe Cantacuzino, the

Mayor of Bucharest The mayor of Bucharest (), sometimes known as the general mayor, is the head of the Bucharest City Hall in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...

. Afterward, Bogdan-Pitești became the publisher of ''

'', but was reportedly a front for Cantacuzino, who used him to test the impact of his agenda on the Romanian public. ''Seara''s main negative campaign at the time focused on

and his Conservative-Democrats, who, to Cantacuzino's displeasure, had been co-opted in government by the other mainstream Conservatives. Barbu Cioculescu
"Din viața lui Mateiu I. Caragiale: Șeful de cabinet"
in ''

'', Nr. 14/2001 The paper published gossip columns and lampoons having Ionescu,

Alexandru Bădărău Alexandru A. Bădărău (April 9, 1859–March 27, 1927) was a Romanian politician, academic, and journalist. History Born in Bădărăi, Iași County (now in Botoșani County), his father was the local mayor. He studied at the National Co ...

and

Nicolae Titulescu Nicolae Titulescu (; 4 March 1882 – 17 March 1941) was a Romanian politician and diplomat, at various times ambassador, finance minister, and foreign minister, and for two terms served as president of the General Assembly of the League of Nati ...

for their main targets. By then, like many "

" Conservatives, Bogdan-Pitești had come to support the

Romanian Kingdom The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 with the abdication of King Michael I an ...

's alliance with the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. This view was popularized by means of his literary club, and support for the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

was also voiced by Arghezi at ''Seara''. In September 1914, a German consortium purchased the paper (together with Cantacuzino's other gazette, ''Minerva''), and Bogdan-Pitești was kept on as a simple columnist. Throughout the interval, Bogdan-Pitești was himself an outspoken Germanophile. His circle, which was already hostile to the National Liberal cabinet of

Ion I. C. Brătianu Ion Ionel Constantin Brătianu (, also known as Ionel Brătianu; 20 August 1864 – 24 November 1927) was a Romanian politician, leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister of Romania for five terms, and Foreign Minister on seve ...

, welcomed the diverse groups who were alarmed by Romania's probable entry into the war: the pro-German Conservatives, the supporters of

proletarian internationalism Proletarian internationalism, sometimes referred to as international socialism, is the perception of all proletarian revolutions as being part of a single global class struggle rather than separate localized events. It is based on the theory th ...

, and the committed

pacifists Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...

. The artistic clientele was also represented in the Germanophile group at large, but, Cernat's writes, did so for sheer dependency rather than actual convictions.Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.40 Suspicions soon arose that Bogdan-Pitești had become a veritable

agent of influence Agent of influence is a controversial term used to describe people who are said to use their position to influence public opinion in one country or decision making to produce results beneficial to another. The term is used both to describe consc ...

. According to Zambaccian, it was Bogdan-Pitești who actually dropped a hint that his support for Germany was a lucrative employment. Through various notes in scattered diaries, most of which have been lost, Caragiale reputedly accused Bogdan-Pitești taking Germany's money to promote her interests in Romania, and to assist her foreign

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

effort. Such assessments, like Caragiale's allegation that Bogdan-Pitești was not knowledgeable in art, reflected conflicts between the two figures, and their overall reliability remains doubtful.

"De la Barbu Cioculescu citire"
in ''

'', Nr. 319, May 2006 It is however possible that Caragiale himself borrowed, and never returned, some 10,000 lei, siphoned out of the German propaganda funds by Bogdan-Pitești.

''Libertatea'' and propaganda wars

Between October 1915 and June 1916, Bogdan-Pitești managed another press venue, ''Libertatea'' ("Freedom"). Its political director was retired statesman

, later replaced by Arghezi. In February 1916, Galaction and Arghezi launched ''Cronica'', another review with a pro-German agenda, and which may itself have been published with discreet assistance from Bogdan-Pitești. Although Bogdan-Pitești, Domnica and Caragiale paid a mysterious visit to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in early 1916, they were never listed as foreign spies by

Siguranța Statului ''Siguranța'' was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety () ...

counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...

. Bogdan-Pitești's name then surfaced in a February 1916 conversation between German statesman

Matthias Erzberger Matthias Erzberger (20 September 1875 – 26 August 1921) was a politician of the Catholic Centre Party, member of the Reichstag and minister of finance of Germany from 1919 to 1920. Erzberger was first elected to the Reichstag of the German ...

and Raymund Netzhammer, the Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest. Erzberger asked if the Vlaici landowner could ever help advance the Germanophile cause; the Archbishop, a loyal German subject, replied that Bogdan-Pitești was unreliable. Allegations later surfaced that Bogdan-Pitești was one of the men receiving payoffs from the German spy Albert E. Günther, manager of ''

Steaua Română Steaua Română Refinery was a Romanian oil refinery, located in Câmpina, Prahova County. It was active between 1897 and 2020. History Establishment and early years The presence of oil in the surroundings of Câmpina had already been documented ...

'' company. The dossier attesting this was lost, but secondary sources have it that Bogdan-Pitești alone received 840,000 lei from Günther's hands. The contributors to ''Seara'' and ''Libertatea'' were, in general, outspoken social and cultural critics, with diverse grievances against the establishment. Historian

Lucian Boia Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history of deformations arising from ideological propaganda, and as a fighter ag ...

argues that, even though Bogdan-Pitești was on the German payroll, his switch from the Francophiles could have been a genuine form of conservatism.Boia, p.191-192 Boia thus notes that ''Seara'' was supportive of the Central Powers from the 1914 build-up to the war, that is even before Cantacuzino had come to decide which side he liked best. The core group of ''Seara'' men included socialists of various hues: Arghezi, who claimed that

Serbian nationalism Serbian nationalism asserts that Serbs are a nation and promotes the cultural and political unity of Serbs. It is an ethnic nationalism, originally arising in the context of the general rise of nationalism in the Balkans under Ottoman rule, ...

was the spark of the war;

Felix Aderca Felix Aderca (; born Froim-Zelig ''Froim-ZeilicAderca; March 13, 1891 – December 12, 1962), , in '' Realitatea Evreiască'', Nr. 280-281 (1080-1081), August–September 2007 Boris Marian, , in '' Realitatea Evreiască'', Nr. 292-293 (1092-109 ...

, who depicted the German Empire as the more progressive belligerent; and

Rodion Rodion () is a Slavic masculine given name of Greek origin, which is sometimes shortened to Rod. It may refer to * Rodion Amirov, (2001-2023), Russian ice hockey player *Rodion Azarkhin (1931–2007), Russian musician *Rodion Cămătaru (born 1958), ...

, who rendered the complains of Germanophile intellectuals from

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

. Others were left-wing refugees from the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, who wanted Romania to join the Central Powers and help liberate

Alexis Nour Alexis Nour (; born Alexei Vasile Nour,Gheorghe G. Bezviconi, ''Necropola Capitalei'', Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Bucharest, 1972, p.203 also known as Alexe Nour, Alexie Nour, As. Nr.;Poporanist Poporanism is a Romanian version of nationalism and populism. The word is derived from ''popor'', meaning "people" in Romanian. Founded by Constantin Stere in the early 1890s, Poporanism is distinguished by its opposition to Marxism, promotion of ...

faction, and the old anarchist

Zamfir Arbore Zamfir Constantin Arbore (; born Zamfir Ralli, , ''Zemfiriyi Konstantinovich Arborye-Ralli''; also known as Zamfir Arbure, Zamfir Rally, Zemphiri Ralli and Aivaza;Felea (1971), p. 9 November 14, 1848 – April 2 or April 3, 1933) was a Bukovina, ...

. ''Seara'' was also a platform for some disgruntled Romanians from

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

region, a Romanian irredenta under Austro-Hungarian rule. They included a mainstream Conservative commentator,

Ilie Bărbulescu Ilie Bărbulescu may refer to: * Ilie Bărbulescu (footballer) * Ilie Bărbulescu (linguist) {{disambig ...

, who advised Romanians to not to focus on Transylvania, and prioritized action against the Russians. Two distinct voices were those of poet

Dumitru Karnabatt Dumitru or Dimitrie Karnabatt (last name also Karnabat, Carnabatt or Carnabat, commonly known as D. Karr; October 26, 1877 – April 1949) was a Romanian poet, art critic and political journalist, one of the minor representatives of Symbolism. He ...

, who identified the

with

Pan-Slavism Pan-Slavism, a movement that took shape in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with promoting integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had ruled the South ...

British imperialism The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts establish ...

; and Ion Gorun, the Transylvanian writer and Habsburg loyalist. Beyond politics, ''Seara'' came out with news on culture, selected for publishing by Ion Vinea and poet Jacques G. Costin. The left-wing preoccupations were also an important feature of ''Libertatea''. Its opening manifesto called for a large-scale social reform, which it claimed was more important to Romanians than any National Liberal project to recover Transylvania from its Austro-Hungarian overlord. It enlisted contributions, generally less political than those at ''Seara'', from literary figures such as Vinea,

Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chir ...

, I. Dragoslav,

and

I. C. Vissarion Iancu Constantin Vissarion (born Iancu Visarion, also credited as Ion Vissarion; 2 February 1879 – 5 November 1951) was a Romanian prose writer, poet, and political agitator, also known as an inventor, esotericist, and promoter of pseudoscien ...

. Bogdan-Pitești regularly published his own articles in the two newspapers he directed, signing them with the pseudonym ''Al. Dodan''. The early texts express his

Russophobia Anti-Russian sentiment or Russophobia is the dislike or fear of Russia, Russian people, or Russian culture. The opposite of Russophobia is Russophilia. Historically, Russophobia has included state-sponsored and grassroots mistreatment and di ...

and commiseration over France's alliance with

Tsarist autocracy Tsarist autocracy (), also called Tsarism, was an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. In it, the Tsar possessed in principle authority an ...

, the world's "most savage, most ignorant and bloodiest oligarchy". By 1915, assessing that Romania's national interest rested with the Habsburgs and the Germans, and arguing that Romanian peasants were worse off than their counterparts in Transylvania, he was urging his countrymen to ponder the benefits of Bessarabia's annexation to Romania.

Wartime, disgrace and death

The neutrality years also rekindled controversy over Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești's daily affairs. A scandal erupted in 1913, after banker

brought Bogdan-Pitești to court on charges of

. The plaintiff enlisted the services of lawyer

, and the defendant, represented by Fleva,Rusu Abrudeanu, p.114 was ultimately sentenced to a jail term. Throughout the scandal, ''Seara'' hosted articles by Arghezi, professing Bogdan-Pitești's innocence. In 1916, just before Romania entered the war as an Entente country, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was again involved in a legal dispute with the Francophiles Take Ionescu and Barbu Ștefănescu-Delavrancea, with

as his lawyer.

Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian far-right politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Biography Early life Octavian Goga was born on 1 April 1881 in the village of Rășinari, on the northern sl ...

, "1916. Din zilele războiului nostru", in ''

Magazin Istoric ''Magazin Istoric'' () is a Romanian monthly magazine. Overview ''Magazin Istoric'' was started in 1967. The first issue appeared in April 1967. The headquarters is in Bucharest. The monthly magazine contains articles and pictures about Romanian ...

'', September 1997 The Ententist bid resulted in major initial defeats, and a Romanian theater of war was opened. The country suffered heavily, and Bucharest was taken by the Central Powers. Reputedly, the occupation forces picked up Bogdan-Pitești from his cell at Văcărești, where he was still serving time. Like Arghezi, Macedonski, Galaction and Mateiu Caragiale, he remained in German-occupied territory. Despite his apparent triumph over the Ententist lobby, he kept a low profile: according to popular but unverifiable rumors, he was even arrested once the occupation authorities angrily discovered his uselessness for the cause. He was however a free man as of April 12, 1917, the date of his marriage to Domnica Colanoski. One account has it that Bogdan-Pitești proceeded to denounce his ''Ileana'' colleague, Petrescu Găină, who had published a set of anti-German cartoons. As a result, the Romanian draftsman spent the war years in German captivity. Once Romania recovered possession over its southern areas, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was reportedly prosecuted for treason and was again sent to Văcărești. Others however note that this last sentence, passed in 1919, was not in fact related to his wartime dealings, but merely to his fraudulent activities, and that only by coincidence did Bogdan-Pitești share a prison with the convicted

collaborationist Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime. As historian Gerhard Hirschfeld says, it "is as old as war and the occupation of foreign territory". The term ''collaborator'' dates to the 19th ...

journalists (Arghezi, Karnabatt,

Ioan Slavici Ioan Slavici (; 18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanian writer and journalist from Austria-Hungary, later Romania. He made his debut in ''Convorbiri literare'' ("Literary Conversations") (1871), with the comedy ''Fata de birău'' ("Th ...

).Boia, p.342 T. Vianu notes that Bogdan-Pitești spent his last years "in ignominy", while Cernat describes his definitive fall to the status of "a pariah". The art promoter died four years after the war ended, at his house in Bucharest, having suffered a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. According to Cernat, his "grotesque" death was sudden, catching him in the middle of a telephone conversation. Reportedly, Bogdan-Pitești's last wish had been for his collection to pass into state property and be kept as a museum.

Legacy

Role and influence

Bogdan-Pitești was the subject of fascination in the literary and artistic community.

writes about his seductive "legend", which fused an "imaginative and generous intellectual" with a "con artist" who "lived life as he saw fit". Art historian Corina Teacă notes that, like

, Bogdan-Pitești was in fact fabricating his own myth: "every part of his public image was a removable mask." The art institutions he helped establish were, nevertheless, reputable. According to Paul Cernat, his influential circle was "an excellent medium of transmission for the modern spirit, an informal institution and one of the first coagulant factors for omania'sfirst post-symbolist

modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

."Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.44 Writing earlier,

Theodor Enescu Theodor is a masculine given name. It is a German form of Theodore. It is also a variant of Teodor. List of people with the given name Theodor * Theodor Adorno, (1903–1969), German philosopher * Theodor Aman, Romanian painter * Theodor Bluege ...

proposed that, like own group, the Știrbey-Vodă Street salon and Macedonski's circle were the only trend-setters active between the decline of ''

Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost personali ...

'' society (ca. 1900) and the establishment of the

modernist literature Modernist literature originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is characterised by a self-conscious separation from traditional ways of writing in both poetry and prose fiction writing. Modernism experimented with literary form a ...

magazine ''

Sburătorul ''Sburătorul'' was a Romanian modernist literary magazine and literary society, established in Bucharest in April 1919. Led by Eugen Lovinescu, the circle was instrumental in developing new trends and styles in Romanian literature, ranging f ...

'' (1919). Cernat additionally notes that, while the writer Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was "neglectful and improvident" when it came to preserving his own works, those essays and

prose poems Prose poetry is poetry written in prose form instead of verse form while otherwise deferring to poetic devices to make meaning. Characteristics Prose poetry is written as prose, without the line breaks associated with poetry. However, it makes ...

that survived have a genuine value. Such judgments were also passed on his topical art essays. Art historian

Petru Comarnescu __NOTOC__ Petru Comarnescu (23 November 1905 – 27 November 1970) was a Romanian literary and art critic and translator. Born in Iași into a family that was related to the metropolitan bishop , he studied law at the University of Bucharest (degr ...

writes that Bogdan-Pitești's "critical intuitions" were superior to those of fellow collectors Zambaccian and

Ioan Kalinderu Ioan Lazăr Kalinderu (born Calenderoglu, Nicolae Iorga, "Molière și Romînii. Comunicație comemorativă la Academia Romînă", in ''Revista Istorică'', Nr. 1–3/1922, p. 5 also known as Iancu Kalinderu, Ioan Kelenderu, Ioanŭ Calenderu, or ...

;Cernat, ''Avangarda'', p.45 critic Nicolae Oprescu also assesses that, without Bogdan-Pitești,

would be lost to Romanian art. The Romanian art environment cherished, then despised, its anarchist patron. In his moments of glory, he received homages from many of his writer friends, as notebooks and albums compiled especially for him.

Cornel Ungureanu Cornel may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Cornel (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname * Cornel Wilde (1915–1989), American actor and director born Kornél Lajos Weisz * Eric Cornel (born 1996), Canadian hockey player * Corn ...

"Ion Vinea și iubirile paralele ale poeților"
in ''

Orizont ''Orizont'' is a 2015 Romanian drama film written and directed by , adapted from the novella ' by Ioan Slavici. Plot Cast * András Hatházi - Lucian * - Andra * Bogdán Zsolt - Zoli * - Pintea * - Adi * Maria Seleș - Victoria * Elena Pur ...

'', Nr. 5/2007, p.2 At a later date, all sides of the dispute were united in expressing criticism for at least some of Bogdan-Pitești's deeds. According to Galaction, he was a "

hajduk A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of Irregular military, irregular infantry found in Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú–Bihar Count ...

", who "robbed away and gave away." Zambaccian portrayed him as one "created from a mold in which the evil and the good genius were present in equal measure. ..Cynical and suave, generous on one side, a con artist on the other, Al. Bogdan-Pitești relished the abjection that he served with cynicism". As Teacă notes, both Zambaccian and sculptor

were among those forever "seduced" by Bogdan-Pitești's duplicity. In 1970, Han wrote: "we cannot judge imunder common law. He remains an absurdity." While nationalist journalist Pamfil Șeicaru dismissed him as "a scoundrel", Macedonski argued that Bogdan-Pitești was "a wonderful prose writer and an admirable poet".

, the modernist poet-philosopher, praised Bogdan-Pitești as a man of exquisite taste, concluding that: "He was made of the greatest of joys, in the most purulent of bodies. How many generations of ancient boyars had come to pass, like unworthy dung, for this singular earth to be generated?" Writer and critic

Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the ...

, also a modernist, was bitterly opposed to the views of Bogdan-Pitești and most other intellectuals who sided with Germany: in 1922, he published the article ''Revizuiri morale'' ("Moral Revisions"), which reminded the public about the controversy surrounding the art collector and his associates (Arghezi,

). A socialist acquaintance and an oral historian, Constantin Bacalbașa was convinced that Bogdan-Pitești was the prototype "inferior degenerate" and, in his political life, a manipulator of "the uncultured minds." Retrospective criticism of Bogdan-Pitești was also voiced by Comarnescu and co-author Ionel Jianu. Although they pay homage to Bogdan-Pitești's artistic qualities, the two speak of his "reproachable faults" and "con artist coups", finding in him "an exhibitionist determined to trick and scandalize", or an "''enfant terrible''". Commentators have been tempted to compare Bogdan-Pitești with some controversial characters in world history, most often the prototype of self-seekers,

Alcibiades Alcibiades (; 450–404 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general. The last of the Alcmaeonidae, he played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War as a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician, but subsequently ...

. Others likened Bogdan-Pitești to the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

writer and notorious blackmailer

Pietro Aretino Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satire, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his ti ...

(Zambaccian stresses that, unlike Aretino, Bogdan-Pitești never duped his artists). Comarnescu proposed that Bogdan-Pitești and the equally controversial Arghezi were better understood through the logic of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

("the ancient Indian ethics"): "good and evil are not opposed, but collocated, combined, in a state of confusion". Taking in view Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești's preference for

orality Orality is thought and verbal expression in societies where the technologies of literacy (especially writing and print) are unfamiliar to most of the population. The study of orality is closely allied to the study of oral tradition. The term "ora ...

, his shady political connections, and his mostly informal channels of influence, Cernat concluded that, "the necessary changes having been made", one could compare Bogdan-Pitești with

Nae Ionescu Nae Ionescu (, born Nicolae C. Ionescu; – 15 March 1940) was a Romanian philosopher, logician, mathematician, professor, and journalist. Life Born in Brăila, Ionescu studied Letters at the University of Bucharest until 1912. Upon graduati ...

, a philosopher and

far right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...

activist whose career spanned the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

, and who had also debuted as a Symbolist.

Anecdotes

NSPetrescuGaina - Alexandru Bogdan-Pitesti

Several anecdotes concerning Bogdan-Pitești's morals and extravagant lifestyle were in circulation from his lifetime. In 1912, Macedonski published an autobiographical Christmas story. It tells how, inspired by Macedonski's desire to feed his family a traditional turkey feast, Bogdan-Pitești sent him the bird stuffed with 50 gold lei. As T. Vianu writes, such "attitudes of a grand feudal lord" made Bogdan-Pitești into an "indisputably picturesque" person. The account was partly confirmed by Constantin Beldie, who also noted that, during those years, Alexandru Macedonski was "starving" and had to provide for "a house full of children". Zambaccian however cites a contrasting story once told by actor Ion Iancovescu. It suggests that, during the wartime famine, Macedonski asked Bogdan-Pitești to pay him 1 million lei for one of the few surviving copies of ''Bronzes''; Bogdan-Pitești bluntly offered him 5 lei—Macedonski gave in, commenting that "he is capable of changing his mind, that con artist!" Bogdan-Pitești's mood swings were also discussed by memoirist

Radu D. Rosetti Radu D. Rosetti or Rossetti (December 13 Constantin Ciopraga, ''Literatura română între 1900 și 1918'', pp. 296–297. Iași: Editura Junimea, 1970 or 18,Șerban Cioculescu, "Amintiri. Radu D. Rosetti", in ''România Literară'', Issue 39/198 ...

. He writes that the boyar scarcely minded when his fortune was being siphoned away by some members of his retinue, but that he publicly humiliated Galaction, and even Domnica, over random expenses. The relationship between Mateiu Caragiale and his one-time patron has attracted special interest from period historians. Early on, the aspiring poet wrote a special piece in honor of his senior friend—called ''Dregătorul'' ("The Mandarin"), it is included in one of Bogdan-Pitești's albums. That accord degenerated during the late 1910s, to the point where Caragiale, whose diary spoke of Bogdan-Pitești's homosexuality in dismissive terms (calling him "a blusterer of the anti-natural vice"), laid out a plan to loot the Știrbey-Vodă Street villa. According to the same author, Bogdan-Pitești turned to passive homosexuality because he was impotent. Caragiale's diary also sketched a portrait of Domnica Bogdan, questioning her morality in harsh terms. Bogdan-Pitești's other relationships with his other protégés could also fluctuate between extremes. According to an anecdote of the time, he advanced Luchian a large sum of money, which the painter used for a trip to

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...

. Luchian then upset Bogdan-Pitești by not inviting him over, and was punished with a telegram addressed "To the ugliest tourist in Sinaia" (a pun on Luchian's proverbial bad looks). In the mid-1910s, Luchian had been incapacitated by

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

. Bogdan-Pitești was one of the last to visit him before his death in June 1916, recording for posterity Luchian's resigned remark: "I'm going away". The main first-hand account of Bogdan-Pitești's 1919 imprisonment comes from

's ''Închisorile mele'' ("My Prisons"). According to Slavici, the art patron had a luxury cell with a view over Bucharest.

, citing Arghezi, records one of Bogdan-Pitești's witticisms on the issue of prison life. When a

Gendarme A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...

wrongly attempted to push him into Arghezi's line of suspected traitors, Bogdan-Pitești snapped: ''Pardon, eu sunt escroc!'' ("Pardon me, utI'm a con artist!"). Zambaccian writes that, during the first of his legal battles with

, Bogdan-Pitești commented on Ionescu's deposition: "He sure is talented, that crook!" The pro-Entente nationalist

was especially upset by Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești's stances, and, in his record of 1916 events (including the Ionescu trial), wrote him off as a "bandit" fed with "German money".

Fictional character

After the World War, according to Beldie, actor Iancovescu introduced impressions of Bogdan-Pitești to his cabaret routine. It showed the convicted Garmanophile and an unnamed German official, who looked into the mislanding of propaganda funds on supporting petty "henchmen". To this charge, the fictional Bogdan-Pitești replies: "I have consumed your money, this much is true, but I did not pull one on you! For how is it that you could imagine me, a traitor of my country, not also being a con artist?" According to Beldie, the account has a grain of truth: instead of using money to revive the Germanophile cause, Bogdan-Pitești directed them into his art collection. A somewhat similar version of this urban legend is included in the memoirs of a National Liberal adversary, I. G. Duca, who sees Bogdan-Pitești's retort as a paradoxical sign of injured

patriotism Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

: "Did you perhaps think that you might buy off some of Romania's honest people? You would be dead wrong, in this land one can only buy off the con artists, only con artists such as myself."Boia, p.195 Duca concludes: "this reply, with its admirable and atavistic national dignity, tempts me to forget, though not to forgive, the utter turpitude that we call Bogdan-Pitești's life." Despite their relationship having declined from friendship to hatred, Bogdan-Pitești's style and his mundane interests are occasionally seen as sources of inspiration for Caragiale's only novel, '' Craii de Curtea-Veche'' (completed in 1928). Some have noted that Bogdan-Pitești has a lot in common with at least one of the three protagonists. He and his wife were both characters in

's novels ''Venin de mai'' ("May Venom") and ''Lunatecii'' ("The Lunatics")—Alexandru as Adam Gună, Domnica as wife Iada Gună. Both novels portray the Bogdans' cultural circle, allude to their influence in making young people reject all conventionalism, and show them promoting vice as virtue. This lifestyle has taken its toll on Adam Gună, who is a physical ruin and slowly loses his hold on reality. Vinea's books repeat claims that Bogdan-Pitești was abusing drugs, and that Domnica was originally a prostitute. More fiction work dealing with the Bogdan-Pitești circle was published from a casual contributor to ''Seara'', Lucrezzia Karnabatt. In her 1922 novel, ''Demoniaca'', she portrays her employer as "Basile Dan", a sinister traitor of his country and a cynical pornographer.

used Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești as the inspiration for "

Alexandru Lăpușneanu Alexandru IV Lăpușneanu (1499 – 5 May 1568) was ruler of Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory ...

", the boyar character in his novel ''Don Juan Cocoșatul'' ("

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

the Hunchback").

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...

, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini până în prezent'',

Editura Minerva Editura Minerva is one of the largest publishing houses in Romania. Located in Bucharest, it is known, among other things, for publishing classic Romanian literature, children's books, and scientific books. The company was founded in Bucharest in ...

, Bucharest, 1986, p.796 Literary historian

notes that this fictional portrait shows: "The dignity in gossip, the boyar carriage, the refinement that the apparent vulgarity cannot bring to ruin, the blasé and cynical lechery .." In one episode in the book, Lăpușneanu simulates agony and receives a Catholic

confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of people – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information that ...

that (he insists) must be read in Latin instead of French; elsewhere, Lăpușneanu's eccentric and adulterous wife Fetița ("Little Girl") shows up on a battlefield, wearing nothing more than a

swimsuit A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types and styles may be worn ...

. Tudor Arghezi dedicated Bogdan-Pitești some of his first poetry writings. As art critics, Arghezi and Theodor Cornel published a comprehensive biographical study on their patron (part of their ''Figuri contimporane din România'' dictionary, 1909). However, according to Corina Teacă, the encomium-like and conveniently imprecise entry may have been sent in, or at least approved of, by Bogdan-Pitești. Arghezi also made his sponsor the hero of a small eponymous poem, wherein he is called ''Lombard bastard cu ochi de rouă'' ("bastard Lombard with the eyes of dew").

Collection and estate

By the 1910s, Bogdan-Pitești's art interests gave birth to a collection of as few as 967 or as many as 1,500 individual works, most of them hosted by his estate in Colonești. They comprised objects created by prominent Romanian visual artists, including, alongside his early associates, Nina Arbore,

, Aurel Jiquidi, Maria Ciurdea Steurer, Constantin Medrea, Ary Murnu,

, Alexandru Satmari,

Francisc Șirato Francisc Şirato (15 August 1877 — 4 August 1953) was a Romanian painter, graphic artist, art critic, and designer. Alongside Nicolae Tonitza, Ștefan Dimitrescu, and Oscar Han, he was one of the ''Grupul celor patru'' ("Group of four"), some ...

, Friedrich Storck,

, and

. Of the total, around 900 works were of Romanian provenance. Among the foreign artists whose work was featured in the collection were

Georges Rochegrosse Georges Antoine Rochegrosse (; 2 August 1859 – 11 July 1938) was a French historical and decorative painter. Life and career He was born in Versailles and studied in Paris with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Gustave Clarence Rodolphe Boulang ...

and

Frank Brangwyn Sir Frank William Brangwyn (12 May 1867 – 11 June 1956) was a Welsh artist, painter, watercolourist, printmaker, illustrator and designer. Brangwyn worked in a wide range of artistic fields. As well as paintings and drawings, he produc ...

. The section dedicated to newer works of art was designed and opened as the first the

museum in Romania. The Bogdan-Pitești trust included many samples of Luchian's art. Two of his famous paintings featured there were ''Lăutul'' ("Washing the Hair")—which Bogdan-Pitești is said to have likened to the luminous oil paintings of

Paolo Veronese Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , ; ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana (Veronese), The Wedding ...

, and ''Safta Florăreasa'' ("Safta the Flower Girl")—originally part of the Luchian family collection. Also included was the 1907 oil portrait of Luchian's cousin, ''Alecu Literatu'' ("Alecu the Literary Man").Lassaigne & Enescu, p.112 They were accompanied by the 1906

pastel A pastel () is an art medium that consists of powdered pigment and a binder (material), binder. It can exist in a variety of forms, including a stick, a square, a pebble, and a pan of color, among other forms. The pigments used in pastels are ...

''Durerea'' ("Pain"), which had been reproduced in a 1914 issue of ''

'', and by the paintings ''De Nămezi'' ("Lunchtime") and ''Lica, fetița cu portocala'' ("Lica, the Girl with the Orange"). Among the works in the series were two portraits of Bogdan-Pitești: an ink drawing, copies of which were circulated with Bogdan-Pitești's election manifesto of 1899, and a since-lost oil painting. Bogdan-Pitești was the subject of several anonymous sketches, including two 1896 vignettes, published in ''

'', and a 1917 drawing signed ''

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

''. He is also depicted in an affectionate cartoon published in 1914 by Petrescu Găină. Domnica Bogdan herself sat as a model for various artists, and was notably depicted in works by Camil Ressu, Pallady and the Bulgarian-born painter

Pascin Julius Mordecai Pincas (March 31, 1885 – June 2, 1930), known as Pascin (, erroneously or ), Jules Pascin, also known as the "Prince of Montparnasse", was a Bulgarian artist of the School of Paris, known for his paintings and drawings. He ...

. In 1920, Bogdan-Pitești commissioned Paciurea to complete a

portrait bust A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human body, depicting a person's head and neck, and a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. The bust is generally a portr ...

of Domnica. The same year, Dimitrescu painted her an oil-on-cardboard portrait in dominant shades of brown (with touches of red and gray). Artists who illustrated works by Bogdan-Pitești include, in addition to himself,

, Ion Georgescu and Satmari. The Colonești manor and its art fund fell victim to neglect. According to T. Vianu, the collection was "blown over by the wind of devastation" even during the interwar years. In 1924, in defiance of its owner's final request, it was subject to a hasty

public auction A government auction or a public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a governmen ...

. This drew protests from literary figures such as

Cezar Petrescu Cezar Petrescu (; December 1, 1892–March 9, 1961) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, and children's literature, children's writer. He was born in Cotnari, Hodora, Iași County, the son of Dimitrie Petrescu, an engineer and a teacher. Af ...

,Jianu & Comarnescu, p.88

Perpessicius Perpessicius (; pen name of Dumitru S. Panaitescu, also known as Panait Șt. Dumitru, D. P. Perpessicius and Panaitescu-Perpessicius; October 22, 1891 – March 29, 1971) was a Romanian literary historian and critic, poet, essayist and fiction wr ...

and

. As a result of the auction, many works passed into the collections of Zambaccian, Alexandru G. Florescu, Iosif Dona and several others. Of them, Zambaccian attributed the incident to the

National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A serie ...

government's unwillingness to accept donations from "a compromised person". He and several other commentators place responsibility for the sales on

Finance Minister A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...

Ion Lapedatu Ion Lapedatu (14 September 1876 – 24 March 1951) was finance minister of Romania (1926–1927), Governor of the National Bank of Romania (1944–1945), and honorary member of the Romanian Academy (since 1936). Family Ion Lapedatu was the son of ...

, who is believed to have either hesitated in assessing the collection or to have plotted with businessmen who wanted it sold cheaply. Zambaccian was to be the eventual owner of ''Lăutul''. It became a feature of his own Bucharest museum, and appears with Zambaccian in an oil portrait by Pallady.Lassaigne & Enescu, p.115 Under the

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

, the Vlaici building was transformed into a branch for the state-owned producer of agricultural machinery, and, in 2004, belonged to its successor, Agromec (although still largely unused). Beldie recounts that, under communism, the destitute Domnica Bogdan worked as a hygienist at Bucharest Central Hospital.

Notes

References

, ''"Germanofilii". Elita intelectuală românească în anii Primului Război Mondial'',

Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...

, Bucharest, 2010. *

, ''Avangarda românească și complexul periferiei: primul val'',

Cartea Românească Cartea Românească ("The Romanian Book") is a publishing house in Bucharest, Romania, founded in 1919. Disestablished by the communist regime in 1948, it was restored under later communism, in 1970, when it functioned as the official imprint of t ...

, Bucharest, 2007. *

, ''Caragialiana'', Editura Eminescu, Bucharest, 1974. * Gabriela Rus
"Ștefan Luchian în evocările contemporane lui. Relația artistului cu Virgil Cioflec"
in the

''Historia Artium LIII'', 1, 2008, p. 77–95 * Adrian-Silvan Ionescu, ''Mișcarea artistică oficială în România secolului al XIX-lea'', Noi Media Print, Bucharest, 2008. *

Ionel Jianu Ionel is a Romanian masculine given name. People named Ionel *Ionel Augustin (born 1955), retired Romanian footballer * Ionel Averian (born 1976), Romanian sprint canoeist *Ionel Budișteanu (1919–1991), Romanian violinist and conductor * Ionel ...

, ''Ștefan Luchian'', Editura de stat pentru literatură și artă, Bucharest, 1956. *

Jacques Lassaigne Jacques Lassaigne (born in Paris on December 17, 1911, and died on February 10, 1983) was a French art historian, art critic, and museum curator. He served as the president of the International Association of Art Critics from 1966 to 1969 and was ...

, ''Ștefan Luchian'', Editura Meridiane, Bucharest, 1972. * Angelo Mitchievici, ''Decadență și decadentism în contextul modernității românești și europene'',

Editura Curtea Veche Editura Curtea Veche ( Curtea Veche Publishing House) is a publishing house based in Romania, located on Aurel Vlaicu Street 35, Bucharest. It has a tradition in editing works of Romanian literature. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Curtea V ...

, Bucharest, 2011. * Carmen Patricia Reneti
"Relații româno-germane în anul 1914"
, in ''Revista de Istorie Militară'', Nr. 1-2/2010, p. 30–39 *

Ion Rusu Abrudeanu An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

, ''România și războiul mondial: contribuțiuni la studiul istoriei războiului nostru'', Editura Socec, Bucharest, 1921 * Corina Teacă
"''Fin de siècle'' Biographies: Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești"
in ''Revue Roumaine d'Histoire de l'Art. Série Beaux-arts'', Vol. XLVIII, 2011, p. 51–58 *

, ''Scriitori români'', Vol. II,

, Bucharest, 1970. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bogdan-Pitesti, Alexandru 1870 births 1922 deaths 19th-century Romanian male writers 19th-century Romanian poets 20th-century anarchists 20th-century essayists 20th-century Romanian male writers 20th-century Romanian poets Anarchist writers Catholic anarchists Conservative Party (Romania, 1880–1918) politicians Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Romanian Orthodox Christians Gay painters Romanian gay artists Romanian gay writers Romanian LGBTQ painters Romanian LGBTQ poets Gay poets LGBTQ Roman Catholics Male essayists People deported from France People from Pitești Post-impressionist painters Inmates of Văcărești Prison Romanian activists Romanian anarchists Romanian art collectors Romanian art critics Romanian book publishers (people) Romanian businesspeople Romanian columnists Romanian essayists Romanian expatriates in France Romanian extortionists 19th-century Romanian illustrators 20th-century Romanian illustrators Romanian literary critics Romanian magazine editors Romanian magazine founders Romanian male poets Romanian male writers Romanian newspaper editors Romanian newspaper founders Romanian nobility Romanian painters Romanian people of World War I Romanian political candidates Romanian prisoners and detainees Romanian propagandists Romanian revolutionaries Romanian Roman Catholics Romanian socialists Romanian white-collar criminals Romanian writers in French Rosicrucianism Symbolist painters Symbolist poets Writers who illustrated their own writing