Milan Butozan
(1905 – 1943)
Portrait of Dr. Rafael Dolinšek, before 1936
oil on canvas
100.5 x 77.5 cm
MG-2475
Milan Butozan studied at the Zagreb Academy, where he was both a student and collaborator of the prominent painter Jozo Kljaković. He made a notable impact on the Zagreb art scene through his controversial actions, striving to secure his position until his untimely tragic death. Throughout his short artistic career, Butozan experimented in search of his own distinctive style. In his early work, he painted Head of a Woman around 1926, influenced by Cézannism, and a decade later, created the colouristic Female Nude.
One of his most representative works is undoubtedly the portrait of Dr. Rafael Dolinšek, a distinguished gynaecologist and collector from Zagreb. Painted in the later stages of the artist’s career, the portrait shows the subject seated in a relaxed posture, in half-profile, in a green armchair. The warm, neutral interior serves as the backdrop, reflecting both the subject’s stature and tranquillity, while also demonstrating the artist’s exceptional skill in colour and composition. Dr. Dolinšek is dressed in a grey suit with a white collar and a red-and-black tie. His face is characterised by a soft smile, round glasses, and well-proportioned features. Butozan masterfully balanced tonal and colour transitions, effectively capturing the subject’s personality.
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

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