Vanja Radauš
from the series “Dance Macabre” (drawing no. 43), 1936-1939
ink / brush on paper
437 x 302 mm
MG-2722

No other Croatian artist was perhaps as dedicated to depicting the suffering caused by war as Vanja Radauš. Here, we showcase two drawings from his Dance Macabre series, inspired by the Spanish Civil War, which can also be viewed as a poignant commentary on both World Wars. Even decades after World War II, Radauš remained preoccupied with portraying the horrors of war, through both series of drawings and sculptural works. Born in 1906 in Vinkovci, he earned a degree in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1930. Like many talented artists of the interwar period, he spent time in Paris and joined the “Earth” Association of Artists in 1932. The monument to fallen Croatian soldiers in World War I, which stands at the Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb, was created by Radauš in 1939. The influence of Ivan Meštrović (his former professor at the Zagreb Academy), is evident in the sculptural style, particularly in the portrayal of the Christian theme of Pietà. Another monument by Radauš, located in the courtyard of the National Museum of Modern Art, attempts to capture human suffering during World War I. This is the Wounded Man monument, where Radauš revisits the motif of the fallen human figure. The theme of human despondency remains a constant in his work, and can also be found in his drawings. Additionally, another frequent motif in his drawings is the human skull, serving as a universal symbol of human impermanence.

Text: Klaudio Štefančić, senior curator 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