Anastase Simu (25 March 1854 – 28 February 1935) was a

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

n art collector. Born in

Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2011 Romanian census there were 180,302 pe ...

, he had two brothers and three sisters. While the genealogical record is incomplete, it appears that his father Panait was a native of

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

, part of the city's powerful Greek community, and ran a candle factory with his brother. After attending the Brăila Commercial School, Simu obtained a baccalaureate from the

Theresianum Theresianum (or Theresian Academy; german: Theresianische Akademie) is a private boarding and day school governed by the laws for public schools in Vienna, Austria. It was founded in 1746 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. History Early hi ...

in Vienna. He then took two university degreees: in law from the

University of Paris The University of Paris (french: link=no, Université de Paris), Metonymy, metonymically known as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, active from 1150 to 1970, with the exception between 1793 and 1806 under the French Revo ...

, and in political science and administration from the Free University of Brussels.Rusu, p. 488 For a time, he was secretary at the Romanian legation in Berlin. In 1882, he married Elena Dumba, the daughter of a landowner of Aromanian origin;Rădulescu, p. 341 the two settled in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...

in 1888. The source of Simu's wealth, which he used to build up his art collection, was the income from two estates: Fleașca in Brăila County (now called Vultureni) and

Tufeni Tufeni is a commune in Olt County, Muntenia, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to ...

in Teleorman County (now in Olt County).Rădulescu, p. 344 Simu, aged 19 and a student in Vienna, inherited the first from a childless uncle. The second was given by his father-in-law as a dowry.Rădulescu, p. 343Iacob, p. 25 Simu retained ties to Brăila, donating 30 paintings to its city hall in 1928; these formed the nucleus of an art museum opened in 1950. He was elected to represent the city in 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 Bourbon ...

, winning four terms:

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new Africa ...

, 1892 and

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

. A member of the Conservative Party, he showed particular interest in the situation of

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

’s

Aromanians The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and c ...

, deploring the Liberal government’s closure of regional schools and of the consulate in

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba (North Macedonia), Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of th ...

. Eventually, Simu grew tired of politics and turned his attention toward art collecting. He acquired painting, sculptures and other objets d’art, both from Romania and Western Europe, in particular France. These were exposed to the public in the

Anastase Simu Museum Anastase is a Basque feminine given name derived from the Ancient Greek name Anastasíā. It may refer to: Given names *Anastase Alfieri (1892 – 1971), Italian entomologist *Anastase Dragomir (1896–1966), Romanian inventor *Anastase Gasana ( ...

in Bucharest from its opening in 1910 until its closure in 1960 and subsequent demolition by the

Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Com ...

.Rădulescu, p. 339 One critique raised against the collector had to do with his classicizing, pedagogical tastes, which did not leave room for the avant-garde. He was good friends with sculptor

Antoine Bourdelle Antoine Bourdelle (30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important ...

, whose penchant for classical forms may have inspired the museum’s Greek temple shape.Rădulescu, p. 340 A bust of Simu by the sculptor is displayed at the entrance of the

Musée Bourdelle The Musée Bourdelle ( en, Bourdelle Museum) is an art museum located at 18, rue Antoine Bourdelle, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, France, located in the old studio of French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929). The museum is open ...

. During numerous journeys west, Simu was accompanied by his wife; together, the couple acquired artworks and cultivated relationships with their creators.Rădulescu, p. 345 Simu donated the Bucharest collection to the Romanian state in 1927. Belying his image of a connoisseur with academic and passé inclinations, Simu was among the first to purchase works by the young

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, ...

: the marble sculpture ''Somnul'' in 1909, and the bust of painter Nicolae Dărăscu the following year.Rădulescu, p. 346 He was elected an honorary member of the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its by ...

in 1933. His wife died the following year, and Simu himself in 1935; the couple are buried at

Bellu Cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...

. An early biographical study was published by the museum’s director,

Marius Bunescu Marius Bunescu (15 May 1881 – 31 March 1971) was a Romanian painter, organizer of the National Museum of Art, and director of the Anastase Simu Museum. Bunescu was born in Caracal, Romanați County, the son of Ioniță Bunea, a craftsma ...

, in 1944.

Notes

References

* Angelica Iacob, “Restituiri: documente inedite din corespondența Anastase Simu”, in ''Revista de artă și Istoria Artei'', vol. II/2019, pp. 25–51 * Mihai Sorin Rădulescu, “Un european: Anastase Simu, la un secol și jumătate de la naștere”, in ''București. Materiale de Istorie și Muzeografie'', XIX/2005, pp. 339–47 * Dorina N. Rusu, ''Membrii Academiei Române, 1866–1999: dicționar''. Bucharest: Editura Academiei Române, 1999, ISBN 978-973-276967-6 {{DEFAULTSORT:Simu, Anastase 1854 births 1935 deaths People from Brăila Romanian people of Greek descent University of Paris alumni Free University of Brussels (1834–1969) alumni Conservative Party (Romania, 1880–1918) politicians Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Honorary members of the Romanian Academy Romanian art collectors Museum founders Burials at Bellu Cemetery