Florin Mitroi was a Romanian contemporary expressionist artist whose striking portraits and depictions of the human body have been compared to Picasso’s engravings of mythological characters. His work is divided between his prolific artistic activity – the artist being rather reserved regarding the communist ideological program – and his didactic contribution, an important constant in his life. His career as a mentor of other artists is reflected in the significant influence he had as a reference figure on future generations. Once his paintings and drawings were finally revealed and circulated among the public, they attested to a masterful development of a unique style and artistic identity. The central motif in Mitroi’s work was the portrait. Produced over a period of 25 years, his tempera paintings, whether on canvas, wood, glass or metal cut-outs, depict a vast repertoire of human figures, represented frontally or from the side. Strong lines, reminiscent of German expressionist woodcuts, construct the head and the face of these stylized characters, while their posture and expressions recall Orthodox religious iconography. In its totality, Florin Mitroi’s art captures both the tragic feeling and the inner strength inherent in the human condition. Since his death, his work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest; the Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal National Museum, Sibiu; Johnen Galerie, Berlin; La Kunsthalle, Mulhouse; Espace Niemeyer, Paris; MARe – Muzeul de Artă Recentă, Bucharest; de Warande, Turnhout; Kunsthalle, Vienna; Museum Dhont-Dhaenens; Mogoşoaia Palace, Bucharest; the Museum of Art, Timişoara; The Museum of Art, Cluj; Catacomba Gallery, Bucharest; and others.