Milivoj Uzelac
Acrobats, c. 1933
Gouache on paper
456 × 316 mm
MG-982

Milivoj Uzelac (Mostar, 1897 – Cotignac, France, 1977) was one of the key figures of Croatian Modernism. He studied in Banja Luka, Zagreb, and Prague, where he refined his artistic skills. While in Prague, he was closely associated with several prominent contemporaries, including Vilko Gecan, Marijan Trepše, and Vladimir Varlaj. Together, they became known as the Prague Four, representatives of the new Expressionist movement in Croatian art. After returning from Prague in 1919, Uzelac worked in Zagreb for only a few years before leaving for France in 1923. There, he drew inspiration from major European artistic movements such as Fauvism, Expressionism, and Cubism. Although he lived and worked in France, he continued to exhibit regularly in Croatia and had a significant influence on a new generation of Croatian painters of the interwar period.
“Acrobats” depicts two female figures interacting with one another, with one supporting the other in a pose that suggests playfulness, balance, or an acrobatic movement. The composition is constructed from elongated, simplified forms and confident, pronounced contours that define the human body. A restrained palette of pink, grey, green, and blue tones creates a harmonious colour scheme, while broad gouache brushstrokes convey a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. The background is reduced to simple fields of colour, directing the viewer's attention to the figures and their dynamic gesture. In this work, Uzelac combines decorative qualities with a refined treatment of the human figure, creating a balanced composition that reflects the mature modernist character of his artistic expression.

Text: Luciana Fuks, Museum Documentation Curator at the National Museum of Modern Art Zagreb
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb Sažmi
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