Ivo Kerdić
(1881–1953)
The Goldsmith’s Treasure, 1928.
bronze, cast
30 × 6 × 6 cm
MG-675

Ivo Kerdić, a prominent Croatian sculptor and medallist, was educated in Zagreb and Vienna, where he received the annual award for composition in 1910. In 1913, at the invitation of Robert Frangeš-Mihanović, he returned to Zagreb to head the Art Foundry at the Academy of Fine Arts. From 1923 to 1947, he taught metalworking at the same institution.
Although active in various sculptural disciplines, Kerdić achieved his greatest success in medal art, which he established as a distinct artistic form in Croatia. His early works, created during his studies, bear strong influences of the Secession style (e.g., Vera Pija Pilar), while in his Zagreb period, he embraced realism, with a focus on the psychological portrayal of his subjects (e.g., Vladimir Becić, J. J. Strossmayer, Ivan Meštrović). The reverse sides of his medals often feature allegorical scenes, skilfully combining classical symbols with traditional Croatian motifs.
In addition to medals and small-scale sculpture, Kerdić also created larger works (e.g., The Kiss, 1912; The Goldsmith’s Treasure, Kamenita vrata (The Stone Gate), Zagreb, 1929), numerous portraits (e.g., Nada Martić-Martek, 1914; Ante Starčević, 1940), and allegorical tomb monuments (e.g., Dr. Milan Ogrizović, 1924). His sacred art holds a special place within his oeuvre, including altars for St. Blaise’s Church in Zagreb and the Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Jerusalem.
Kerdić was also active in applied arts, crafting decorative objects in precious metals—pitchers, trays, ashtrays—as well as jewellery, such as the rector’s chain of the University of Zagreb and the chain of the Grand Master of the Brethren of the Croatian Dragon.
The bronze sculpture The Goldsmith’s Treasure is a study of Dora Krupićeva, the daughter of a goldsmith and central character in the novel of the same name by August Šenoa. The sculpture was installed in 1929 in a niche on the building of the Brethren of the Croatian Dragon at Kamenita vrata (The Stone Gate) in Zagreb.
Dora is portrayed standing, wearing a long, form-fitting dress with long sleeves and a rounded neckline. Her feminine form is accentuated by a gentle contrapposto: the right leg bent at the knee, the left extended, with her foot just visible beneath the folds of the hem. Her head tilts slightly to the right, with a soft, faint smile on her face. Her hair is neatly arranged and braided. In her left hand, at hip height, she holds a casket, while the right hand holds a key—symbols of her virtue and fate. The sculpture’s surface is smooth, with flowing, lyrical lines from the waist downward. The pedestal bears the engraved title: THE GOLDSMITH’S TREASURE.

Text: Tatijana Gareljić, Museum Advisor, National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb