Portrait of Princess Maria

Costin Petrescu (1872 – 1954) is the artist who painted, between 1934-1939, the monumental fresco in the Romanian Athenaeum, the largest work of art in Romania to that date. Also, Petrescu is well know for his more than 400 portraits, among which there is this portrait depicting Marie of Romania (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 1875 –1938), the last but the most loved Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I.
Marie was born into the British royal family, with British and Russian imperial roots. As a princess and also as a queen, Marie was very popular with the Romanian people, always being a model of patriotism to the population. Marie is remembered for her work as a nurse, but is also known for her extensive writing, including her critically acclaimed autobiography.