''The emperors cycle. The fragments were born in a moment in which, leafing through a book on the history of portraiture, I was surprised by the powerful difference between the expressions of Hadrian, Caesar and Trajan on the one hand and that of Saint Constantine on the other. The former seemed to me full of natural humanity, yet the latter attracted my attention through its psychological depth. It's a matter of the brutality and indifference and complacency of a man face to face with his own power,'' he says.

Representational art provides Radvan increased freedom to express himself. ''Abstract art is a necessary and interesting experiment in the history of painting, but for me it's sterile, a dead end. We need epic poetry, and representational art can fulfil this role in a world that emphasises the intellectual at the expense of the emotional. I think it is very difficult, even for an artist, to have the capacity to be truly contemplative.''

He admires the sincerity and intelligence of Picasso, and the refinement and accuracy of Velasquez and Vermeer. If he had to share a desert island with somebody, he believes it would be his professor of painting, Florin Mitroi, as he has a great admiration for him. And he would never be bored.

Every artist is unique, even if he tries to imitate another. ''I couldn't imitate Bellini, for example, no matter how hard I tried. I have a different experience of life. Bellini never had the chance to travel by aeroplane while I, on the other hand, will never have his depth, however hard I may try, and our interpretations of the same subject would be completely different.''

Art should be a kind of mirror to society and Alexandru Radvan is nostalgic for the times when the artist concentrated on things essential to human destiny. ''Something irrevocable has been lost, and art today is increasingly judged as a question of dexterity. The motto 'Everthing is possible, everything can be accepte' increasingly sums up the contemporary way of thinking. I'm unpleasantly surprised by the false indulgence both of art critics and the public, particularly in painting. Nobody talks openly about the crisis in which modern art is in, not even the younger generation. People aren't sincere enough with themselves and are unwilling to recognise and overcome their own limitations. We sometimes lack the courage to take a step forward,'' he says.

Alexandru Radvan has enjoyed a number of trips to Europe in recent years. Italy impressed and inspired him greatly, particularly the power of the Colosseum, where he could imagine the battles that took place there. He says he will always remember the three weeks he spent in Jerusalem several years ago. ''It was a period of conflict in Israel. I woke up every morning thinking that there was a chance that I might not return home safely and that I could lose everything in a moment. Detailed images have remained in my mind of how light was reflected on a certain day or the nuances of leaves on a particular tree. That experience helped me to perceive life differently and to try to appreciate every moment.''