Corneliu Drăgan-Târgoviște (born 3 March 1956) is a Romanian painter specializing in watercolor painting.Corneliu Drăgan-Târgoviște – maestrul acuarelei românești, Radio România Cultural, 4 February 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
Biography
Drăgan-Târgoviște was born on 3 March 1956 in Bucharest. In 1981 he settled in Târgoviște and graduated from the Faculty of Installations Engineering in Bucharest. Alongside his technical education, he studied painting under Horea Cucerzan and drawing with sculptor Iorgos Iliopolos.Corneliu Drăgan-Târgoviște, pictor, Vatra MCP. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
Between 1981 and 1991 he collaborated with Romanian publications including Urzica, Albina, Flacăra Rebus, and Cutezătorii, producing satirical illustration, advertising graphics, and comic strips. In 1988 he created the stage design and scenery for the play Înșir-te, Mărgărite by Victor Eftimiu. In 1990 he became a founding member of the newspaper Glasul Cetății, initially serving as its graphic designer.Portret: Corneliu I. Drăgan Târgoviște este răsfățatul galeriilor de artă din Franța și Germania, Adevărul, 4 July 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
In 1990 he left his engineering career to devote himself entirely to painting. Between 1991 and 2002 he collaborated with art galleries in France and Germany.
Artistic career
Drăgan-Târgoviște is primarily known for his watercolor paintings, focusing especially on urban landscapes and architecture. According to his own statements, his work is inspired mainly by places he has visited, seeking to capture their atmosphere and distinctive colors.
In 2012 he was the only Romanian artist selected to exhibit in the international events organized within the Shanghai Zhujiajiao Watercolour Biennale in China. The same year he became a member of the Birmingham Watercolour Society in the United Kingdom.Corneliu Drăgan Târgoviște: „Chiar se poate trăi din pictură”, Gazeta Dâmboviței, 8 January 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
In 2015 his painting Venice was selected from 3,779 watercolor works submitted by artists from 73 countries to the Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennale in China. He was also the only Romanian artist participating in that edition.Corneliu Drăgan-Târgoviște at the Shenzhen International Watercolour Biennale 2015, Modernism, 2 December 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
His works are included in public and private collections in Romania and abroad, including France, Germany, Israel, Spain, the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.
Since 2020 he has been a full member of the Romanian Union of Fine Artists (Râmnicu Vâlcea Branch). He was a member of the Birmingham Watercolour Society from 2012 to 2022 and an associate member of the National Watercolor Society (United States) from 2016 to 2023. Since 2021 he has also been a member of the Taylor Foundation in Paris.
Selected awards
2013 – Second Prize, International Watercolour Salon, Aiguillon, France. 2018 – Award of Excellence at The 1st Universal Watercolor Exposition, Zhuji, China, for the painting Art Studio.Corneliu Drăgan-Târgoviște – Award of Excellence at the Universal Watercolor Exposition in China, Modernism, 18 September 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2026. 2019 – Fourth Prize at the CASTRA International Watercolour Festival, Ajdovščina, Slovenia. 2020 – Nominated in the Graphic Arts section of the Camil Ressu National Art Biennale, Galați Museum of Visual Arts.
References