#Exhibit of the Month

This remarkable portrait of Mihai Eminescu, created by artist Alexandru Gușanov, is based on one of the four known photographs of the poet. The photograph that inspired this portrait was taken in 1869 in Wenceslas Square, Prague, when Eminescu was only 19 years old. The oval composition and harmonious color palette highlight the prominent personality and charisma of the young poet, capturing an expression that conveys both melancholy and intellectual depth.
Alexandru Gușanov (1929-2005), a Moldovan painter of Ukrainian origin, distinguished himself through his extensive work, comprising approximately 5,000 pieces - portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings. Settled in Moldova since 1945, Gușanov graduated from the Republican Art School "I.E. Repin" in Chișinău in 1952. His works were showcased in numerous national and international exhibitions and were highly appreciated in countries such as France, Hungary, Russia, and Yugoslavia. The artist dedicated a significant part of his career to creating portraits of historical and cultural figures, including Dimitrie Cantemir, Mihail Kogălniceanu, and Alexei Mateevici, which are part of the National Museum of History of Moldova's collection.

The subject of the portrait, Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), is the most significant poet in Romanian literature, whose works reflect profound thought, sensitivity toward nature, and national identity. At the age of 19, when the photograph that inspired this portrait was taken, Eminescu was in the midst of his intellectual formation, preparing to become the iconic voice of Romanian culture. Among his most famous works is the poem Luceafărul (The Morning Star), a masterpiece of universal literature.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

„Homage to Captain Conan”

November 11th - December 13th, 2015

The travelling photo-documentary exhibition „Homage to Captain Conan" displayed at the National Museum of History of Moldova is organised by the French Institute of Bucharest in partnership with the National Archives of Romania and the Municipal Library from Dinan (France) commemorating the beginning of World War I.

The exhibition invites everyone to discover one of the symbolic novels of World War I: „Captain Conan" written by French writer Roger Vercel (Goncourt Prize laureate in 1934) who fought on the Eastern front.

Mobilised in 1914, then sent to the Eastern front in 1918, Roger Vercel fought against Bulgaria, marched in Bucharest on Armistice Day, fought with Bolsheviks in Bessarabia and was the rapporteur of the War Council before his return to France. The months spent in Central and Eastern Europe marked him deeply and inspired in writing three novels: „Our ancestor Traian", „Captain Conan" and „Léna". The novel „Captain Conan" is the story of French soldiers mobilised to fight the war against the Bolsheviks. With barracks in Bucharest, they have difficulties in complying with the laws of civil life in Romania. With this novel, Roger Vercel offers a picture of events in the country at the end of the war, the relations between the Romanian population, barely freed from German occupation, and French soldiers who cannot return to the motherland.

The exhibition tells the story of the novel, from the moment of its writing to Bertrand Tavernier's film adaptation in 1996, based on Dinan Municipal Library archives. Also, the exhibition sends us in Roger Varcel's Bucharest of 1918-1919 years, due to descriptions and documentations made in collections of the National Archives of Romania. The reproductions of photos that represent Vercel in his homeland along with different French personalities, arranged on eight stands, are combined with illustrated postcards from the National Archives of Romania depicting aspects of city life described by the French author in his book.

The display is complemented with original pieces from World War I - photos, newspapers, postcards, prints, weapons, etc. - held in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova and private collections.

The exhibition is accompanied by the screening of "Capitaine Conan" directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

#Exhibit of the Month

Portrait of Mihai Eminescu by Alexandru Gușanov

„Homage to Captain Conan”

November 11th - December 13th, 2015

#Exhibit of the Month