Josip Račić
In the Park, 1908
watercolour on paper
27.5 × 21 cm
MG-764

After completing his education in Zagreb, Josip Račić (1885–1908) left for Vienna in 1904, and soon after moved to Munich to attend the school of Anton Ažbe. In 1905, he also spent time in Berlin. That same year, he enrolled in the drawing school of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, studying under Johann and Ludwig Herterich as well as Hugo von Habermann. His request for a scholarship from the Croatian government was declined. While in Munich, he associated closely with fellow Croatian artists Vladimir Becić, Miroslav Kraljević, and Oskar Herman. Within the Academy, the group came to be known as Die Kroatische Schule (The Croatian School). Račić spent the final year of his life, 1908, in Paris, where he created a number of significant works.

The watercolour In the Park (1908) belongs to a series of genre scenes depicting everyday life in Paris. Through the translucent layering characteristic of the watercolour technique, a sense of lightness and airiness is achieved. The composition, resembling a photographic snapshot, captures an intimate moment of social interaction—a group of figures, dressed in pastel and black tones, gathered in a circle and engaged in quiet conversation. The scene is imbued with a gentle atmosphere of intimacy and calm, set within the greenery of a park—an oasis of tranquillity amid the bustle of the modern city.

Text: Ivana Rončević Elezović PhD, museum advisor at the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb