Ion Jalea

Ion Jalea studied at Académie Julian. Training under Frederic Storck and Dimitrie Paciurea is recorded. József Fekete is recorded as having studied under Ion Jalea. The recorded working language is Romanian. The field of work recorded is art of sculpture.

• Name — Ion Jalea • Born — 19 July 1887 • Birthplace — Casimcea, Tulcea County, Kingdom of Romania • Died — 7 November 1983 • Place of death — Bucharest, Socialist Republic of Romania • Education — Bucharest National University of Arts Académie Julian • Known for — Sculpture • Notable Works — Resting Archer Statue of George Enescu Statue of Carmen Sylva Dragoș and the bison • Awards — Order of the Star of the Romanian Socialist Republic Hero of Socialist Labour • Elected — Titular member of the Romanian Academy

Jalea was born on 19 May 1887 in the small town of Casimcea, Tulcea County. His family moved in 1893 to the village of Ciocârlia de Jos. Jalea attended the Mircea cel Bătrân High School in Constanța. He went on to continue his studies at the School of Arts and Crafts (in Romanian, Școala de Arte și Meserii) and, from 1909, at the National University of Arts in Bucharest, where he was the pupil of the renowned Romanian sculptors Frederic Storck and Dimitrie Paciurea. In May 1915, Jalea held his first solo exhibition. In 1916, his artistic education was pursued in Paris at the Académie Julian. During this time, he had the opportunity to work alongside Henri Coandă as apprentice in sculpture in Auguste Rodin's atelier, after which he continued his studies at Antoine Bourdelle's studio.

After Romania entered World War I in August 1916 on the side of the Allies, Jalea returned home. In 1917, he volunteered to join the Romanian Army, and fought in a series of battles on the Moldavian front, at Corbu, Măxineni, and Nămoloasa. On August 17, 1917, he was severely wounded. After being treated at Galați and then Iași, doctors managed to save his left foot, but his left arm had to be amputated next to the shoulder. For his valor, he was decorated with the Romanian Order of the Crown, Knight rank, and the French Croix de Guerre, which was conferred to him by general Henri Mathias Berthelot.

Following his recovery, despite having lost an arm, Jalea demonstrated unwavering devotion to the art of sculpture, as he had done before. Utilising only his right arm, he rose to fame as a renowned sculptor, achieving his greatest works following his amputation. Jalea's talents were recognised on an international level, as evidenced by his accolades at prominent events such as the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, where he received a prize. His contributions to the monument Romania and its provinces earned him one of the Grand Prizes at the Paris Exhibition of 1937. In addition, he participated in the 1939 New York World's Fair, further establishing his reputation as a skilled sculptor. In 1932, he was appointed as a professor at the Bucharest National University of Arts, and in 1942 he was appointed director at the Ministry of Arts.

In 1935, he designed the 250 lei coin, which features the Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania and the Effigy of King Carol II.