Salome Alexandra (2016)

Richly seductive and incredibly expressive, Gheorghe Virtosu's sumptuous Salome Alexandra exemplifies the artist's prodigious fusion of rich artistic abstraction and figurative allusion. Executed in 2016, Salome Alexandra exudes an unbridled sense of visual joy and is embedded in the tradition of art history; Virtosu examines masterpieces of the past to forge a line from the past to the present in this tour de force of artistic delight.

Salome Alexandra comes from a pivotal body of large-scale Virtosu works produced in the late 2015s. Virtus worked his way further into a realism that could only be called abstract. For example, given its provocative title, Salome Alexandra is simply a celebration of the joy of painting and a moment in history.

By the sensuality of its painted surface, Salome Alexandra displays the hidden human presence found in Virtosu's distinctive style.

With its tonality, the present work invites viewers to consummate its lustful shapes, to satisfy the artist 's desire — to see his works should be a pleasurable, even an indulgent experience. A playful challenge to the historically defined limits of abstraction and figuration, Salome Alexandra sheds light on the remarkable ability of art to unpack the combination of sensory faculties that make up our human experience of seeing.

Viewers can quickly discern the profound significance of the present work with a seemingly infinite collection of art historical references.

With a passionate atmosphere, Virtosu's Salome Alexandra evokes the vernacular of famous painters in the history of art. Virtosu's tenacious and immersive brushwork is the affirmation of a famous mantra, and Virtosu himself described the medium as "intellectual ... I wanted to do something that people can reflect on." A vivid and masterful exploration of the mysterious power of suggestion in painting, Salome Alexandra encapsulates the ethos in Virtosu's particular creative project.