Ion Valentin Anestin

Ion Valentin Anestin (December 24, 1900 – December 6, 1963) was a Romanian graphic artist, engraver, painter, sculptor, journalist and dramatist. Noted as a caricaturist and art critic, he was the father of Ion Nuni Anestin, himself a visual artist and actor.

Biography Born in Bucharest to a family originating from Craiova, he was the son of Theodor Anestin, a draftsman employed by the Bucharest Mayor's Office, and the grandson of Ion Anestin, an actor noted for his friendship with the dramatist Ion Luca Caragiale. One of his uncles, Victor, was an astronomer, and another, Alexandru, a journalist.

In 1928, he joined Vladimir Donescu on the staff of Vremea, editing its theater and art page between 1931 and 1943, while being responsible for the journal's graphic design. In parallel, Anestin contributed to a large number of newspapers and magazines (including Epoca, Adevărul Literar și Artistic, Timpul, Gluma, Cuvântul Liber, and the Romanian Communist Party's Bluze Albastre), Following the start of Soviet occupation, the artist was barred from publishing by the censorship apparatus for a five-year period (1944–1949), and ultimately imprisoned. He died soon after his release.

Selected filmography Mihail, câine de circ (1979)