On Vasile Alecsandri Street, at number 16, in a quiet corner of northern Bucharest, stands one of Romania’s most valuable artistic residences: the Stork House, now known as the Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum. It is not only a museum preserving the works of two major Romanian artists but also the story of a family of creators in which sculpture and painting blended harmoniously for generations. Built between 1911 and 1913, the house was designed by architect Alexandre Clavel, following the precise instructions of sculptor Frederic Storck and his wife, painter Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck. From its conception, the house was intended to be more than a home — it was envisioned as a temple of art, a space of creation, inspiration, and aesthetic education. More than a century later, it continues to fulfill that mission, housing an impressive collection of artworks and historical objects of inestimable value.

A family of artists who shaped Romanian art history

The Storck family represents a true artistic dynasty. Over three generations, the name Storck became synonymous with professionalism, refinement, and innovation in Romanian sculpture. The first in the family, Karl Storck (1826–1887), a German-born sculptor who settled in Bucharest, became the first professor of sculpture at the School of Fine Arts, founded by Theodor Aman. 

He is the author of the first monumental sculpture in Bucharest, the statue of Spătarul Mihail Cantacuzino, which still stands today. His son, Carol Storck (1854–1926), continued the family tradition, creating three of the allegorical figures that decorate the Palace of Justice, as well as the impressive monument to General Dr. Carol Davila, located in front of the Faculty of Medicine in Bucharest. 

The third generation is represented by Frederic Storck (1872–1942), Karl’s son, who inherited his father’s passion for sculpture and became a professor at the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest. He married Cecilia Cuțescu (1879–1969), a visionary painter and one of the most influential women in Romanian interwar culture. 

Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck was an exceptional figure: the first female professor at a state academy of arts in Europe, an artist who actively promoted women’s emancipation and their role in society through art. Alongside her artistic career, she was also a public intellectual devoted to education and culture, often declaring that “art must inspire beauty and spiritual strength.”

A house born from love and passion for art

After their marriage, Frederic and Cecilia purchased land on Vasile Alecsandri Street, where they decided to build a home that would reflect their creative spirit. Between 1911 and 1913, under the guidance of architect Alexandre Clavel, the house took shape — a refined blend of styles, with architectural elements designed by Frederic, who focused on the framing and sculptural details, and interior decorations painted by Cecilia. 

From the very beginning, the building was conceived as a home-museum, where each artist would have their own studio. On the façade, above the entrance archway, one can still read Cecilia’s motto: “Work, work, and work again.” This phrase encapsulates their artistic and human creed: art is not only about talent but also about discipline, dedication, and perseverance.

Inside, Cecilia spent several years painting the walls with murals inspired by love, spirituality, and the tree of life. “Being deeply attracted to mural painting, she wanted her house to inspire well-being. 

That’s why we can still admire motifs of love, spirituality, and life,” explains art historians. The result is a home that is itself a work of art — a dialogue between sculpture and painting, between the strength of material and the delicacy of color.

From private studio to public heritage museum

In October 1951, a few years after Frederic’s death, Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck and their daughters, Gabriela Florica Storck and Cecilia Frederica Storck-Botez, decided to donate the house and its entire artistic collection to the People’s Council of Bucharest, ensuring the preservation of their legacy. 

Today, the Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum operates through a partnership with brothers Alvaro and Alexandru Botez, descendants of the family, who provided the property for the exhibition and conservation of the collection.

The museum’s collection is one of the most valuable in Bucharest, including sculptures, paintings, ink and charcoal drawings, pastels, watercolors, and gouaches, along with a series of plaques and medals cast in bronze, ancient coins, and icons. 

Most works were created by Frederic and Cecilia, but there are also important pieces by Karl and Carol Storck, offering a complete image of a family united by artistic vocation.

The artistic nude – between elegance, symbolism, and expression

One of the most fascinating aspects of the collection is the abundance of artistic nudes, a theme both refined and bold, explored by both Frederic and Cecilia. At a time when depictions of the human body were often viewed with modesty or suspicion, the two artists managed to turn the nude into an expression of natural beauty and inner strength.

For these works, the Storck couple often used young Roma women as models — among the few at the time willing to pose for such pieces. The most famous of them was Salomeea, a muse who inspired numerous sculptures and paintings.

“They would come and stay here for long hours, serving as models. The same girl was used by both — she for nude paintings, he for sculptural representations of Salomeea. He created several versions. In Cecilia’s writings, there are touching stories about these girls, their modest lives, and the couple’s efforts to help them,” note art historians.

The nudes created by Cecilia and Frederic are neither provocative nor indulgent. They express a classical serenity, a deep connection between body and spirit, between femininity and freedom. In Cecilia’s paintings, women often appear as cosmic figures — symbols of creation and universal harmony. In Frederic’s sculptures, the human form embodies balance and inner power.

A legacy that lives through art

Visiting the Stork House today, one can still feel the energy of its creators. Light filters gently through the stained glass, illuminating Frederic’s sculptures, Cecilia’s colorful murals, and the original furniture, still arranged as it was a century ago.

Everything exudes elegance, order, and passion. The museum is not merely a collection of objects but a living space, a place where one can still sense the pulse of art and history.

Each room has its own atmosphere: Frederic’s studio, with its scent of plaster and bronze, feels frozen in time, while Cecilia’s salon, filled with light, bears the imprint of a woman who believed that art could change the world. 

Beyond its artistic value, the museum has a deep symbolic significance — a reminder that art can transcend time, that beauty and creation remain alive even after their makers are gone.

The museum-house on Vasile Alecsandri Street – a sanctuary of memory

Today, the Stork House stands as a place of reflection and discovery. Here, every detail — from monumental sculptures to charcoal sketches, from wall frescoes to inscriptions — speaks of a profound devotion to art. 

In a Bucharest that has lost many of its historical landmarks, this house stands as a victory of memory over oblivion. It reminds us that modernity does not mean forgetting the past, but honoring it.

Through their work, Frederic and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck built not just a home, but a symbol of love for beauty, art, and humanity. In her paintings and his sculptures lies the sensitivity of an era and the strength of a family that placed art above all else.

Thus, the Frederic Storck and Cecilia Cuțescu-Storck Museum is not merely a tourist attraction or a heritage institution. It is a lesson in life, courage, and artistic devotion — proof that beauty born of passion endures through time. 

Their house, with its painted walls and surrounding sculptures, remains a perfect museum, a space where visitors can feel the heartbeat of true art and understand that a nation’s greatest wealth lies in its cultural legacy.

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