From 1926 until 1928 Dimitrie Paciurea was apparently haunted by various unsettling images. This is when most of the Chimeras were produced, their individual titles hinting to mixed mythologies that blend in the ancient with the artist’s deeply personal fears and anguish.
Of the ancient imagery associated with chimeras, the Chimera of the earth retains the lion paws and the coiled snake’s tail, the goat head being replaced with that of a woman. The monstruous hybrid creature seems to borrow from Greek mythology as well as from Romanian folklore. The muscular neck and the short, stout body, its belly lying flat on the ground, suggest a beast incapable to break away from it. The skillful, soft modelling and perfect finish of the bronze are among the most important lessons Paciurea passed on to his students at the Bucharest School of Fine Arts.
Such technical qualities continue to be the trademark of Paciurea, a sculptor whose subject matter was often associated to symbolism, while overall visual effects are reminiscent of expressionism.
