Frano Kršinić
(1897 - 1982)
Meditation, 1965
carving, marble
28 x 38 x 16 cm
MG-2613

Frano Kršinić, a member of the academy and an academic sculptor, studied in Prague and worked as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he also served as a rector for many years. With a lyrical soul, he remained deeply connected to his homeland while pursuing his artistic and pedagogical career in Zagreb. He solidified his subtle formative style through artistic endeavours that spanned over half a century in Croatian modern art. Kršinić revitalised the ancient Mediterranean stone-working tradition in an innovative way, merging a high level of craftsmanship with a direct understanding of the essence of things, marked by lyrical sensitivity, graceful subtle movements, and a gentle overall atmosphere. His works are genuinely unconditional and cohesive entities, featuring rounded, synthetic forms, artistically executed with a high degree of sculptural purity.
Kršinić is a poet of the female form, a sculptor captivated by lyricism and the motifs of his childhood (the island and the sea). He reached the pinnacle of creativity with his distinctive female nudes in bronze, stone, and marble, each consistently radiating a captivating charm, grace, and vitality.
Kršinić’s sculpture embodies a dreamy enchantment, timeless tranquillity, and introspective quality, as exemplified by the marble female nude “Meditation” from 1965. This allegory of meditation is an intimate piece, characterised by sumptuous nudity and the warm fullness of a youthful body. Through gentle modelling and subtly suggested facial features, the artist appears to realise a dream that is just beginning to take shape in reality. His intimist works, inspired by lyrical experiences, are distinguished by their authentic accent. In his creations, Kršinić elevated femininity to a symbolic level. The poetry of the young female body is shaped into a flawless synthesis of plasticity. These works radiate beauty through rhythm and harmony, serenity, and balance. By exploring the motifs of women, he achieved the metaphysical principles of existence, resolving the ancient dichotomy between body and spirit. His subtly carved female nudes in marble stand as the finest examples of this genre in our art, celebrated for their pure beauty of form and surface.

Text: Tatijana Gareljić, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb