The World of Löwendahl

Born in St. Petersburg in a noble family with old Danish princely descent, George Löwendal arrived in Romania after the First World War by an accident of fate. He first stopped in Bucharest (1921-1925) and later settled for a decade in Chernivtsi, where he worked as a set designer and technical director of the newly established National Theater. The cosmopolitan city of Chernivtsi, an iconic Central European place, was without a doubt beneficial for Löwendal's creativity, as proven by his set and costume sketches and the expressionist studies of his portraits, created under the influence of various theatrical and artistic movements. This exhibition reveals the creative force of a prolific artist whose works cover different styles and genres, ranging from avant-garde stage design to haunting expressionist portraits, from landscapes bearing the imprint of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism to neo-Byzantine religious painting. Approximately 120 works illustrate Löwendal's diverse artistic output; they include paintings, stage design and costume sketches made during his years in Chernivtsi, graphic art, sketches from the totalitarian period, posters and advertisements.