Joso Bužan
Fate, 1934
oil on canvas
124 x 89 cm
MG-7418

Joso Bužan (1873–1936) received his art training in Zagreb, Vienna, Germany, and Italy. He primarily painted rural genre scenes, especially from the Zagreb region, as well as portraits. His work is characterised by plein-air and pseudo-plein-air realism, with a strong emphasis on colour. Despite some variation in quality, Bužan was a significant and active figure in the Croatian art scene at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
Bužan’s 1934 painting Fate is a fine example of his oeuvre. In the foreground, a farmer is shown en face, momentarily pausing from his work, while the rest of the group continues labouring in the background. By drawing attention to the worker’s fatigue, the painting underscores the harsh realities faced by a section of society during the interwar period.

Text: Lovre Mrduljaš © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb