Artwork Appraisal
- elliotmelamed
- Jul 8, 2025
- 4 min read
We recently met with a client seeking insurance artwork appraisal services. He and his wife had in their collection some very unique and beautiful originals. One striking example is this lively and powerful relief sculpture depicting a pair of wild horses. One of his most notable techniques, which he refers to as 'sculptured paintings'. It was executed in the mid 1960's by Internationally renowned artist Prince Monyo Mihailescu-Nasturel.
Artwork Appraisal
Prince Monyo Simon Mihailescu‑Nasturel (born1926) is a Romanian‑American sculptor and painter with an extraordinary life journey—spanning royalty, imprisonment, exile, and artistic transformation—deeply influenced his celebrated oeuvre. Born in Bucharest into the aristocratic Nasturel Herescu lineage, direct descendants of Princes Matei Basarab and Mihail Viteazul, he was raised amid privilege in ancestral castles surrounded by political discourse and fine wine.
From Royalty to Repression
Despite his privileged birth, Prince Monyo's life took a dramatic and tragic turn with the rise of Communism in Romania. His family's estates were seized; he was imprisoned without trial and held for eight years in Aiud Prison under harsh conditions, even surviving a gunshot wound to the hand and prolonged solitary confinement .
In 1960, the intervention of the United Nations and U.S. diplomat Henry Cabot Lodge secured his release. Emaciated and frail, Monyo arrived in the United States as a political refugee, eventually joining family in Florida.
An Awakening in Clay
Following his release, Monyo explored various roles—from amateur wrestler to race-car driver and lifeguard—but none satisfied him. Haunted by memories of prison, he turned to clay modeling as a therapeutic outlet. Creating forms in which he could channel his trauma, he began producing figurative and abstract sculptures with emotional depth.
Meeting Rufino Tamayo—A Turning Point
A pivotal moment in 1961 occurred when Monyo traveled to Mexico City, wandering into the studio of renowned painter Rufino Tamayo. Impromptu sculpting drew Tamayo’s admiration: “a great prodigy.” Invited to exhibit at the Museum Mizdrachi, Monyo soon earned awards, including first prize at Jardines del Artes, and began to attract collectors worldwide
Building Abroad: Canada, U.S., Europe
Encouraged by early success, Monyo traveled north, staging a solo show in Toronto with just a few dollars but the unwavering confidence of his craft. The show’s popularity led him to establish a gallery and foundry in Yorkville, fill a luxurious apartment with his provocative art, and make headlines with Canada’s first-ever erotic sculpture exhibition—a show that resulted in his arrest but ultimately catalyzed legislative change supporting artistic freedom
By the late 1970s, he relocated to Miami and eventually Palm Beach, Florida, opening a gallery and foundry on Worth Avenue. His prolific work by then included over 245 bronze editions, along with carved onyx sculptures and “sculptured paintings” ‒ a three-dimensional painted relief technique praised by Critique European as “the most emotional and vivid technique ever created in three dimensional art”
His creativity continued internationally; he opened an onyx studio in Pietrasanta, Italy and exhibited across Europe, with works entering collections in Spain, Italy, and France.
Monumental Works & Public Installations
Monyo’s engineering background translated into kinetic and monumental sculpture. Among his signature works:
“Flames of Life”, a dramatic 62-foot bronze flame structure situated at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, weighing 8,500 lbs.
“Eternal Flame” and a rotating sculpture titled “Reflections of a City”, a 16-foot diameter piece turning on its axis at sunset speed.
A 12-foot Jesus Christ bronze for the Santa Virginia Maria Church in Freeport, Bahamas rogallery.com.
Public installations including “Lady in the Park,” “Towards Freedom,” “Romance in the Rain,” and “Nature’s Prize” adorn the courtyard of his Palm Beach gallery.
His monumental pieces found homes in memorial parks, such as Valley Forge National Park, via donation from collector Daniel Tabas—the only living artist honored in that memorial
Style & Technique
Monyo’s work is characterized by its graceful lines, emotive abstraction, and fusion of figuration with motion. His ballerina bronzes like “Arabesque” and “Nureyev Dancing” underscore his sensitivity to form and movement. Equally, his abstract pieces like “Mythological Head” reveal an expressive sculptural voice rooted in memory, mythology, and organic form.
Casting predominantly via the traditional lost‑wax method, he also integrated mechanical elements—rotating bases, kinetic mechanisms—which bridged his passions for art and engineering .
A Life Reclaimed in Art
Prince Monyo Mihailescu‑Nasturel’s narrative is one of resilience and transformation. From captivity to acclaim, he channeled his experiences into art that speaks of freedom, grace, and endurance. His pioneering “sculptured paintings” and erotic exhibitions challenged cultural norms, reshaping institutional attitudes toward artistic expression. His kinetic public monuments, casting mastery, and diverse material repertoire—bronze, onyx, relief painting—are testament to an inventor‑artist who never abandoned his royal lineage, intellectual curiosity, or mechanical skill.
Even in his 90s, Monyo’s foundry and gallery in Palm Beach continue operating, showcasing his expansive range—from intimate dancer figures to soaring public sculptures. He remains an enduring figure in contemporary art, celebrated for marrying engineering sophistication with soulful creativity, and turning suffering into unapologetic beauty.
In summary, Prince Monyo Mihailescu‑Nasturel embodies a remarkable synthesis: aristocratic roots disrupted by oppression, rebirth via artistic expression, and global recognition as an innovator in sculpture and kinetic art. His legacy is prestigious yet personal—an artist who carved freedom out of hardship and cast it in bronze for the ages.
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