Background
George Stefanescu was born on April 20, 1914 in the commune of Plainesti (present-day Dumbraveni, Vrancea, Romania). He was the son of Gheorghe Stefanescu and Sanda (Catanaru) Stefanescu.
George Stefanescu was born on April 20, 1914 in the commune of Plainesti (present-day Dumbraveni, Vrancea, Romania). He was the son of Gheorghe Stefanescu and Sanda (Catanaru) Stefanescu.
During the period from 1926 to 1933, George attended the King Ferdinand High School in Ramnicul Sarat (Romania). His art teacher recommended him to the church painter Constantinescu and he became the latter's apprentice after school.
In 1933, after receiving his baccalaureate, he left for Bucharest. George Stefanescu studied under Ion Theodorescu-Sion, a noted personality in the Romanian art world.
Since 1933 to 1936, the painter studied at the Bucharest National University of Arts, where his mentor was the painter Nicolae Darascu.
In 1936, he took a study trip to Vrancea and Balcic and the following year, in 1937, George attended artillery officer's school.
George organized his first solo exhibition in a Bucharest art gallery in 1936. The following year, in 1937, he started to sketch designs for women's clothing and fashion accessories for a Bucharest fashion house. During that time, the painter also worked at the construction company Sonaco. In 1938, he created murals together with the fresco painter Alexandru Mazilescu.
From 1940 to 1944, during World War II, George served in the Romanian troops. In 1946-1947, he worked at the film production company Filmul Popular. George also worked with some Hungarian specialists to modernize this film laboratory, eventually becoming head of the laboratory.
In 1948-1951, Stefanescu served at the ONT laboratory. During this time, he also founded his own advertising studio for the film industry.
Since 1951 to 1955, Stefanescu worked for the state ministry of electrical power, where he held the post of a director of the electro chain stores of the country.
In 1956, he started his own design studio in Bucharest.
Some time later, in 1958, George was appointed a production director at the Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Municipal Theater (now Bulandra Theatre) in Bucharest.
In 1960, he was commissioned to execute a portrait of Tony Bulandra, husband of Lucia Sturdza Bulandra and probably Romania's best known actor at the time, for the museum of the National Theater Bucharest. He also made set design and costumes for the play Mamouret by Jean Sermet and toured with the Bulandra company to Budapest and elsewhere in Hungary, after which he stayed on another month in Budapest to settle tour matters. He took the opportunity to paint oil and watercolor paintings, to draw, and to befriend Hungarian painters. After his return to Bucharest, these works were exhibited in Bucharest in the hall of the Sala Izvor, the main hall of the Bulandra Theatre.
In 1961, Stefanescu made set design and costumes for Mihail Beniuc's play Intoarcerea ("The Return").
In 1964, he participated in the biennial stage design salon in Bucharest and executed stage setting blueprints for the play "Fii cuminte Cristofor" ("Behave, Christopher") by Aurel Baranga. The following year, the painter took part in the annual salon of the creative arts sponsored by the City of Bucharest and had a solo exhibition at the Gheorghe Tattarescu Museum.
In 1967, George returned to stage and costume design, for the play Poetul si revolutia ("The Poet and the Revolution") about Vladimir Mayakovsky. In May of the same year, he participated in the spring salon of the City of Bucharest in Herastrau Park. Later that year he paid working visits to the Danube Delta and to Sibiu.
In 1970, Stefanescu had a solo exhibition at Simeza Gallery in Bucharest. He continued his theatre work, designing costumes for the Georges Feydeau farce Puricele in ureche. During the 1970s, he also exhibited his works at many other places, such as the Romanian Atheneum in Bucharest and the Simeza Gallery.
In 1980, Stefanescu participated in the City of Bucharest salon for the creative arts at the Dalles Gallery, and paid a study visit to Covasna. In the next two years, he traveled to Covasna, as well as to Azuga and to Bistrita-Nasaud County.
In 1983, the painter held his solo exhibition in the Art Gallery of the City of Bucharest. In the mid-1980s and the 1990s, he also exhibited in Germany, where he settled down in 1989.
In 1991, George participated in the exhibition "9 Künstler aus Lüdinghausen" ("9 artists from Ludinghausen") in the Lüdinghausen castle Burg Vischering.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Stefanescu continued showing his works and held many solo exhibitions.
The Family Secret
Nude
At Balcic
Carnival
Red Nude
Capturing the Ottoman Flag
The Dream
Sunrise
Waiting for
The Storm of Elements
Delu (Artist’s Brother)
The Red Torero
Stock-still Dream
Cosmos
Cathedral
Still-life with Fish
Sadness of Young Women
Nude (Paraschiva)
Minstrel
The Repose of the Harlequin
The little Prince
Still-life with Guitar
Selfportrait ( Râmnic )
Dahlias
Flowers on Yellow Background
In Front of the Easel (Self-portrait)
Embalming
Lucia Sturdza Bulandra in Mamouret
The Princess
Flowers
Dance
Oas Folk Dance
Nudes
Red Nude
Nude
Summer Ornaments
Imaginary Cityscape
Maternity
At Grass
A Story
Inner Courtyard (Gheorghe Tattarescu Museum)
Harlequin
Harlequin’s Sadness
Supper near the Icon
Still-life with Apple
Selfportrait
Round Dance Ornaments
The Fairy of the Colours
Beginning and End
Winter Landscape (Nostalgia)
At Covasna
Beginning of the Song
The Start of the Show
Towards Light
Fairies´ Play
Feminity
Fantastic Landscape
No Tears
Home's Restlessness
Self-Portrait
A Fantastical Butterfly
Round Dance in Bucovina
"My Belowed Studio"
Marine at Sunrise
Village Holiday
The Peacock in the Dream
Still life with Icon
Fairies´ Song
Princess
Selfportrait ( Il Padrone )
In the Mirror
Green Harlequin
Beginning
Forest (Autumn)
The Old Citadel
Mother and Child
Blue’s Secret
The holy Family
Mountain Lake
Self-Portrait
The Painter and the Flying Man
The Woman with Blue Dress
The Town
Crucifixion
Queen of the Enchanted Gardens
Mother´s Care
Doubt
The Crucifixion
Cosmic Characters
Discovery of the Song
Before the Strom
Lucia Sturdza Bulandra in The Madwoman of Chaillot
Stained-glass Window
Pheasant
Street in Sibiu
Magic Score
Pietà
Harlequins II
Structures at Sunset
Magi's Council
Woman from Bitola
Old Osiers
Paradise
Harlequin
Daylight in the City
Flying Man’s Garden
Messiah
The Fire Chariot
The Waiting for
Spring in the Gulf
Tumblers
Face from the Past
The Lord’s Crucifixion
Girl with Beads
Among Flowers
Biblical Scene
Homage to Painter Iser
Fairies´ Dance
Candour
Crucifixion
St. Elijah’s Story
Memory
Star of Betlehem
Pride
Daybreak
Young Ladies
Artist Ion Tuculescu
Portrait of a Girl
Harlequin
The Courtesan
Still-life with Vegetables
Encounter in the Dream
Girl with Orange Dress
Teacher Stelian Cucu, King Ferdinand High School, Ramnicul Sarat
Odalisque
Mexican Woman
Oaş Dance
Selfportrait (Râmnic)
Love’s Sadness
Behind the Scenes
Portrait of a Child (Radu)
Altar of Colours
Motherhood
Selfportrait
Self-Portrait
Divine Service in the Cathedral
Self-Portrait
The Princess of Colours
Mother and Child
Marine
Marine at Sunset
The Music
Spanish Woman
Minstrels (Noblemen’s Carol Singers)
Mother and Child
Earth Traces
Hidden Thoughs
Adam and Eve
People, Birds and Animals
Pagan Ritual
Danseuse
Harlequins
The Last Parting
Embracing Colours
Girl in Red
Flying Man
Flowers’ Enamel
Byzantine Faces
Messiah
Boats on the Lake
Loneliness for Two
Maternity
The City by Night
Fishes at the Japan Sea
Lord´s Crucifixion
Marks on the Wall
Nudes in the Grass
Lord´s Crucifixion
Yellow’s Secret (Allegory)
Figures at the Japan Sea
The Kiss
The Source of Colours
The Prince of Colours
Cavalcade
George was married to Alexandra Misinschi (Didi). The couple had one child — Radu.