Sculptor Frederic Storck
One of the leading figures of the Romanian interwar generation of artists.
Ion Puican, 08.03.2025, 14:00
Bucharest is home to one of the most beautiful museums in Romania: the Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum, a memorial house that is part of the Bucharest Municipality Museum (MMB). The museum is also an impressive workshop in terms of its architecture and style, and especially for the art collection it hosts. This museum is devoted to two great interwar artists of Romania, husband and wife, key figures of the cultural and academic world of their time.
Sculptor Frederic Storck (1872-1942) was one of the most prominent figures of Romanian interwar art. He was one of the most representative and versatile sculptors. His artistic activity span a long period of time and his works are, with very few exceptions, executed with great skill, very unified and at the same time, very varied.
More details about Frederic Storck from the deputy director of the Bucharest Municipality Museum, Elena Olariu:
“Frederic Storck was the son of Karl Storck and the brother of Carol Storck, all great sculptors. He had permanent exhibitions in Romania, but also in Germany, because Frederic Storck completed his art studies in Munich, Germany. He also traveled to Paris, He stayed here for a period of time to further his studies, before returning to Romania. In 1901, one of the most important artistic associations in Romania was founded, “Tinerimea artistică” – the Art Youth. Storck was a founding member, along with other great Romanian artists. He was active in this association for a very long time, and his most important role was as an active talent scout. In this search for young talented artists, he discovered and tried to promote Cecilia Cuțescu, who had stayed in Paris after finishing her studies, alongside her first husband. Over the years, they would get to know each other better, fall in love and get married after Cecilia Cuțescu’s divorce. His activity at Tinerimea artistică also linked this association to Princess Maria, who had become an enthusiastic admirer of Romanian art, and Frederic Storck wanted to attract her as much as possible to this area. In fact, she became the patron of Art Youth. The relationship between Princess Maria and Frederic Storck was special. He was extremely hardworking, had an extraordinary energy and was somehow the soul of these great exhibitions. The connection with the royal family, which continued since his father’s time, was, let’s say, crowned with success. Like his father, Frederic Storck created various sculpted portraits of members of the royal family, including one made for King Carol I, but also another splendid one made for Queen Maria. They were recently restored and are exhibited at the Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum”.
Frederic Storck’s work is characterized by a harmonious interweaving of elements that are a tribute to classicism with modernist overtones. The artist’s vision was moderate, with slight stylizations, pursuing elegance of composition, the inner expression and the perfection of the form. Elena Olariu tells us about some of the artist’s major works:
“Frederic’s fame also brings him important commissions. For example, he created 8 caryatids for the famous Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest. In 1907, Frederic Storck executed an important commission, two sculptures representing industry and agriculture for the Administrative Palace in Galați and also for the municipality there he created the monument devoted to Mihai Eminescu. In 1930, he was commissioned to sculpt the portrait of Beethoven. He also created statuary groups for the Credit Bank of Romania. So, somehow Frederic Storck, just like his father, actively contributed to the beautification of modern Romanian cities”.
In 1906, Frederic Storck became a professor at the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest. He was a methodical teacher who enjoyed great artistic prestige. He instilled in his students respect for drawing, the basic prerequisite for the study of any plastic representation. More about his teaching activity from Elena Olariu:
“Perhaps the most important part pf his career was his tenure at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest, where he taught sculpture for decades, being extremely appreciated and loved by his students. He dedicated almost his entire life to this dream of training as many sculptors as possible in Romania. And, indeed, his students loved him greatly for his seriousness, for his extraordinary capacity for work, for his talent and for this willingness to sacrifice himself and give back to the community”. (VP)
