In late 2025, the National Museum of Modern Art presented the second exhibition in its virtual programme on its official website:

The exhibition features works by unknown artists from the museum collection and is the result of collaborative teamwork by museum advisor and curator Ivana Rončević Elezović PhD, Marija Kalmeta (former conservator at the National Museum of Modern Art), conservators Ana Dumbović and Sonja Pavin, led by Petra Kursar, MA (Art), Head of the Conservation and Restoration Department of the National Museum of Modern Art. Until her retirement in January 2025, museum advisor Dajana Vlaisavljević also collaborated with the aforementioned team.

Works by unknown authors in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art are of particular interest from a conservation and restoration perspective, as well as in terms of provenance research. The project was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb.

A total of 132 works by unknown artists and of undetermined dates in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb represent a valuable and intriguing body of material previously unknown to both the professional community and the general public. Among other things, the selection includes portraits, landscapes, vedute, interiors, animal scenes, mythological and genre scenes, religious subjects, still lifes, nudes, as well as exotic examples such as several woodcuts with Japanese motifs. The majority of these works date from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Stylistically, they encompass works from the Biedermeier period, Classicism, Romanticism, and Realism, as well as a number of examples showing affinities with more avant-garde tendencies of the early 20th century.

During the examination of the artworks, the solid artistic and technical quality of a significant number of pieces proved to be a pleasant surprise. The aim of the exhibition is the professional processing and presentation of this visual material through detailed examination and imaging of the paintings themselves, as well as through the study of archival sources and relevant professional and scholarly literature. As these works have not previously been exhibited, insight into their content represents a valuable contribution to a broader understanding of the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb. The project also provides an opportunity for the artworks to undergo thorough conservation and restoration treatment. In this process, we anticipate a series of interesting discoveries related to the paintings, which often come to light during conservation interventions; selected findings will be presented in the form of conservation reports. — Ivana Rončević Elezović, PhD

Reproduction:
Title: Portrait of Countess Oršić-Keglević
Artist: Unknown
Date: 19th century
Material/Technique: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 73 × 54 cm
Collection: National Museum of Modern Art
Location: Zagreb
Cultural Heritage Register No.: MG-3060

The photograph taken prior to conservation was made by Jovan Kliska, while the post-conservation photograph was taken by Ljubo Gamulin.