George or Gheorghe Ranetti, born George Ranete, was a Romanian poet, journalist and playwright, known as the founder and editor of Furnica magazine. A professional journalist from the late 1890s, he alternated between political dailies and literary reviews, being sympathetic to Romanian nationalism and traditionalism, and working under Ion Luca Caragiale at Moftul Român. By 1904–1906, he was active on the margin of left-wing traditionalism, or Poporanism, showing himself sympathetic to republican or generically anti-elitist ideologies. Such views and influences seeped into his activity at Furnica, which was for decades a prominent institution in Romanian humor.
George Ranetti
Cover art by Petrescu Găină, featuring Dimitrie Sturdza as Christ (February 1905)
Social cartoon by Ion Theodorescu-Sion (February 1909)
Petrescu Găină's portrait of Ion Brezeanu as Hamlet (October 1904)
Anton Costache Bacalbașa was a Romanian political journalist, humorist and politician, chiefly remembered for his antimilitaristic series Moș Teacă. Together with his brothers Ioan and Constantin, he entered public life as a republican and socialist militant. For a while, his career was intertwined with that of Marxist doyen Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea, who inspired in him the idea of a socialist art addressed to the masses. He was himself a popularizer of Marxist ideas, and one of the first Marxist intellectuals in Romanian political history.
Photograph of Bacalbașa, ca. 1890
An 1892 gathering at Sotir, with Constantin Mille (holding his two daughters), Vasile Morțun and Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea seated in the foreground. Toni, in the white hat, is standing behind Morțun, holding him by the shoulder. Alexandru Ionescu and C. Z. Buzdugan are reclining in front of them. Also pictured, first from the left in the same row, is poet Artur Stavri. Simion Sanielevici, Henric Streitman, Henric Sanielevici, Ion Păun-Pincio are among those standing in the bottom row
"The Symbolist poet", as portrayed by Moftul Român cartoonist Constantin Jiquidi
PSDMR propaganda in the magazine Lumea Nouă, 1895. The female figure represents social democracy, and the red flag is marked Proletarians of all countries, unite!
