Child's play on Worth Avenue, Palm Beach

It's a pleasure to walk down Palm Beach's ritzy Worth Avenue and enjoy browsing in the exclusive stores of Saks Fifth Avenue, Nieiman Marcus or Gucci. You might also spot some of the infamous Palm Beach socialites like Donald Trump shopping or dining in one of avenues' fabulous eateries such as Charlie's Crab or Chuck and Harold's. I didn't spot "The Donald" but I did find a sale in Gucci and purchased some Kiehls cosmetics in Nieiman Marcus. What I was surprised to find, as I strolled down the avenue, were sightings of children. There were children climbing ladders, riding bicycles, skateboarding, swinging on a swing, skipping and even having a tug-of-war. These children were not real, however, but the artistic creations in bronze of Prince Monyo Mihailescu-Nasturel. These figures are displayed surrounded by greens outside Prince Monyo's sculpture galleries, Gallery Via Veneto and Gallery Versailles. Inside the galleries are more sculptures of children playing baseball, dancing and animals expressing various emotions including romance.Prince Monyo is the last in a line of descendants of Romanian voevods (kings). He led a storybook life as prince growing up in a castle outside Bucharest. His father was a wealthy landowner and investor so he enjoyed many comforts, including servants, elegant clothes and a quality education and respect. He graduated from the University of Sorbonne in Paris with a doctorate in ancient history and religion and a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bucharest, Romania. His charmed life came to a halt in 1948 when the communists took over Romania. His family fled immediately but the prince stayed believing that he would be left alone because he owned a factory that produced nails and wire, which were essential for his countrymen. However, he was mistaken and was imprisoned for more than seven, years including four in solitary confinement. To keep from going insane, he would fantasize about shapes and would change them, as he wanted. This made the prince recognize his artistic powers of interpretation - a power he would eventually use to project emotions through his sculpture. He was finally released in the early 1960s with the help of social contacts of the Royal family. Even Henry Cabot Lodge intervened and persuaded the United Nations to appeal for his release. After spending many months in a hospital, he came to the United States to join his family. He settled in Florida and quickly began making up for lost time by living a carefree life as a beach boy.Despite enjoying the life of Riley, including racing cars and professional wrestling, there were still recurring fantasies and turbulent memories from all the years in prison. It was then, the prince says, that "to relieve my impulses I started making sculptures, beginning in clay, just to reflect my thoughts." Prince Monyo's birth as an artist came in 1962. While on vacation in Mexico City, he wandered into the artist's quarters and met revered artist Alex Duval. Duval was so taken with the prince, as he watched him idly model a lump of clay, that he invited him to share his studio. In short time, the prince began to win prizes with his exhibits and collectors from all over the world began to visit the studio to buy his works.In 1963, he moved to Toronto and acquired his own gallery and studio. He kept this studio until 1975 when he undertook the enormous task of presenting exhibitions and shows over a large part of the United States (Beverly Hills, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Dallas and San Francisco) and Europe (Madrid, Marabella, St. Tropez, Nice, Monte Carlo and Pietra Santra, Italy). He returned to the United States in 1982 and opened this gallery studio that I stumbled upon in Palm Beach.His creations in rough and polished bronze are on display in several museums throughout the world and prized in many exquisite private collections. Some of his most sought-after pieces are from his "Fiddler On the Roof" and "Ballerina" series. One of his mammoth accomplishments is his 20-foot, four-ton "Reflection Of the City," a bronze wheel which emanates suggestions of Aztecan mystery. This piece is in the private collection of Jack Belz of Memphis, Tenn. Actually, the Belz family, the founders of the legendary Peabody Hotels, has the largest collection of Prince Monyo's work. The prince's "Symphony in Bronze" collection is what is displayed prominently in his galleries on Worth Avenue. His prelude into the world of imagination in his works, such as Concerto to her Friend, a violin player playing to her dog and children playing leapfrog, are quite fascinating. When you're walking along Worth Avenue, enjoy the sights of children as I did and visit the prince's galleries, at 250 and 226 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach.Copyright © 2004 Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com