Biography

1922 - 2008

Born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1922, was the great-grandson of the painter iconographer Albert Mauerhamer and nephew of Ștefan Dimitrescu, the Head of the Fine Arts Academy of the city of Iaşi, Romania.

Through his early school years, George Dumitresco won several national art contests and in 1932 was awarded Bucharest's Great National Prize, for his painting. At young age, he experimented with wood engraving.

In 1947, he graduated as Doctor of Medicine and specialised as surgeon.

In 1956, he was a founder of the "Circle of Doctors Artists - Ion Țuculescu", but in the same year the Romanian "Securitate" arrested him for alleged "conspiracy against national security".

Tortured and detained in awful conditions, he retained his moral integrity and remained a "non denouncer", a quality which very few of those that have been put through the communist jails could be proud of.

Freed from jail, Georges Dumitresco pursued art studies while continuing to practice medicine, in Bucharest.

In 1959, he was named Chief of Bucharest Hospitals Clinics and in 1966 he obtained a Diploma at the Popular School of Art of Romania.

Between 1964 and 1969, he displayed his artwork at several collective and personal exhibitions.

In 1968, Georges Dumitresco was the principal founder of the "Salon des Medecins", in Paris, France. His last personal exhibition in Bucharest took place in the following year.

In 1969, he got away from his country of origin and settled in Switzerland.

Initially he practiced in Valais, then in Yverdon as doctor at the Paillard company and later on in Vallorbe, where he established medical rooms, at the invitation of the local Council.

Whilst in the Diaspora, Georges Dumitresco remained involved in promoting Romanian culture and tradition.

A great scholar, writer, philosopher, artist, doctor, he was member of the Association of writers of Vaud, the International Federation of French language writers, of the Association of Romanian writers and the World Union of writers-doctors. His artwork became the subject of many articles and publications.

In 1978, he was the founder of the "Jura Artistique", Vallorbe (1978 - 2002), an organization that involves both local Swiss artists and exiled Romanian artists.

Georges Dumitresco extended cordial invites to Romanian based artists, providing them with the opportunity to mingle in "the free world".

Through the years he participated in twenty annual exhibitions and in addition he held personal exhibitions in Switzerland and in Romania, as well as collective exhibitions in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, USA and in Lebanon.

Embassies, churches and various cultural institutions throughout Europe purchased his artworks.

Georges Dumitresco authored and illustrated over thirty books of prose and poetry and in 1998 he published "TRIPTIC", a trilingual poetic Anthology in Romanian, French and Italian, containing 142 poems. The book was illustrated by 80 of his paintings reproductions.

In recognition for his excellence, the Romanian and the Swiss Post office issued special editions of postcards and postal envelopes, decorated with his paintings.

In his art, Georges Dumitresco utilised diverse techniques: oil, watercolour, ink, monotype, acrylic, "pointe seche", linocut, tapestry, vitrail and a personal style named "xeropictogramme".

After retirement, having miraculously overcome a series of cardiac troubles, George Dumitresco remained more active than ever, devoting his entire time to poetry and painting.

Georges Dumitresco past away in Lausanne, on 21 October 2008.