Tribute to the Traveling Actors

I live in a city, a big and crowded city. A city that has suffered because of its history, a city that doesn't find itself and that I don't fully understand. I like to say that it is a city made up of islands. Here I think it looks like most cities in the world, all can be likened to an archipelago with many islands... I like this comparison I make and I don't know if it is original, if I found this resemblance because I love the sea, or maybe I read it somewhere and it got stuck in a particle in my brain.

I think many of you ("many" is an overdevelopment, when I think that I do not exceed ten readers per post), well, maybe some of you will think that they also thought about this comparison.

Beauty islands in a sea of(concrete) gray!

Of course, we look for beauty and navigate and try to get around the ugly parts. For this, we need to know the place, to have the map and the compass ...

Now I want to show you a small island, one of the beautiful islands sought by residents and somewhat disoriented tourists who cross the streets of the city.

A statuary group called The Chariot with the Traveling Actors!

Located in front of the National Theater in Bucharest. The theater is called "Ioan Luca Caragiale", after the name of the greatest Romanian playwright, who lived and wrote in the second half of the eighteenth century.

This is a separate statue from the group, it is a statue that represents the playwright. In the background, in the background, is the theater building. This is a central place of the city, perhaps the most famous place in the city. An architectural complex, built in the last century and which was to be an image of the modernity of a communist state. The Intercontinental Hotel can be seen behind the statuary group, which ensures western comfort, and the national theater, which was supposed to show the culture of the people.

The photos are taken only at night after I left the show because I always arrived late and I didn't have time to take pictures during the day.

This statuary group was made by the sculptor Ioan Bolborea, a controversial Romanian sculptor. The monument is seven meters high and weighs 25 tons. In total there are 16 statues representing as many famous characters from plays written by Caragiale. Plus the playwright's statue, standing sideways, smoking and looking at his characters.

Caragiale was a fine and sarcastic observer of Romanian society a century and a half ago and, on top of that, everything he wrote is still valid today, proof that morals do not change easily.

The 16 statues represent 16 well-known characters from the best plays, "A Stormy Night" and "A Lost Letter" and the models were the actors who played these characters.

Of course, all this is completely unknown to you and it is normal to be so, it is national literature little known abroad and quite difficult to understand and appreciate without knowing the political and social context.

The statues are caricatured, they represent some ridiculous characters from a sick society. Unfortunately, they are also abundant in contemporary society.

Made of patinated bronze, these statues cost one million euros. I don't know how much the materials cost or how much money the sculptor received. When a lot of money intervenes, there is a lot of controversies, envy also appears, but I consider that the result is well worth the money spent.

The Chariot with the Traveling Actors, located in front of the National Theater in Bucharest, is an extension of the theater and turns the city center into the culmination of Romanian dramatic arts.

This monument immediately attracts attention, you can not pass it without noticing it, it has become an emblem of the city.

I found a film made by a Romanian painter, Murivale, when assembling this statuary group. For those who want more information.