If you want to see and admire works of art by great Romanian painters, then you must also visit the Zambaccian Museum. If you want to admire works by Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and even the only Cezanne exposed to the public in Romania, then you must also cross the threshold of the Zambaccian Museum. If you want to walk through the rooms of one of the most beautiful houses-museums in Bucharest, you must also go to the Zambaccian Museum.

It had started to flake after we left the Theodor Pallady Museum and we were heading to the Zambaccian Museum, located on the street of the same name in Bucharest. Easy, with small and rare flakes, pleasant… I didn't know that at the Zambaccian Museum a really equally pleasant surprise will await us, that we will open our eyes in wonder and look exuberantly at some of Romania's heritage works, created by to our greatest and most important painters.

Brief history of the Zambaccian Museum

Krikor H. Zambaccian (b. February 6, 1889 , Constanța - d. September 18, 1962 , Bucharest ) was a Romanian collector and art critic of armed origins . Among others, he also wrote the monographs of Nicolae Grigorescu , Gheorghe Petrașcu , Nicolae Tonitza , just some of the most important Romanian painters.

After enrolling at the Higher Institute of Commerce in Antwerp in 1907 and later at the Paris Institute , he came into contact with Western art, being strongly impressed by Cézanne . There he begins to make contact with artistic environments, visits exhibitions, attends salons, cafes and places where artists met. Where he meets a Matisse, Derain, Bonnard or a Dufy.

Returning to Bucharest , he has been attending our artistic circles since the 1920s and collecting works of art by already established painters, but also by some beginners, whom he supports in his career.

Thus, Zambaccian discovers and launches painters and sculptors, acquiring their most valuable works. As his house became too small, construction began on the house where the current museum is located in 1943. And as the collection continued to grow, it was expanded in 1957.

In 1947, Zambaccian made the first donation to the Romanian state, the house and 310 works, painting, graphics, sculpture and furniture. In 1957 the second act of donation and in 1962, at his death, these being completed by the third donation, made by his family.

The house-museum was severely affected by the 1977 earthquake, the collection being moved to the Museum of Art Collections. But since 1996 he has returned home, as Zambaccian wanted.

" Thank God he made me worthy to make this collection that I donate to the people…

I pay my gratitude to the Romanian talents who, in their enthusiasm, lifted me to peaks of light. "

More information about Zambaccian and his collection can be found on the internet.

Our visit to the Zambaccian Museum, in some impressions and more images

As I began the tour of the Zambaccian Museum, the first painting at the entrance I saw was Thedor Pallady's self-portrait. artists… The walls of his studio being occupied by some of Pallady's works of art…

Then I stepped into the main hall, my eyes on the left, right and front wheel, and even back, so as not to miss anything. The artists' works being grouped, I admired the works of Ion Andreescu, Nicolae Grigorescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Ștefan Luchian and Camil Ressu.

Then upstairs, I saw paintings signed by Alexandru Ciucurescu, Gheorghe Petrascu, Iosif Iser, Lucian Grigorescu, Ion Theodorescu-Sion but also works by Matisse, Renoir, Pablo Picasso and, as I said at the beginning, the only Cezanne on display of the public in Romania…

And many others, and many more… Impressive art collection, we couldn't leave from there… I'm sorry if I didn't list all the artists on display, I just couldn't remember them all.

Some modest pictures taken with the phone in our tour among the works of art of the invaluable Zambaccian collection, below.

We were glad to see live, some of the paintings I knew from books or saw on TV.

We would have resumed the tour once and again, if we could. And we could do it, but the current sanitary rules and common sense urged us to let other visitors see and enjoy the beautiful works of art in peace. We can go back there at any time and we will, for sure.

Now the exit is through the backyard… anti-pandemic rules

It is clear that I discovered another one of the beautiful house-museums of Bucharest, which I invite you to see, who knows, maybe you will like it…