Category: Discover-Archive

Oton Iveković, Paklenica Valley on Velebit, 1912

Oton Iveković
Paklenica Valley on Velebit, 1912
oil on canvas
172.5x 109.8 cm
MG-381

Oton Iveković (1869 – 1939) initially studied painting in Zagreb with Ferdo Quiquerez, before moving to Vienna in 1886 to study under Christian Griepenkerl and August Eisenmenger. He then continued his education in Munich with Wilhelm von Lindenschmit and in Karlsruhe under Ferdinand von Keller. Iveković worked as a drawing teacher at the Realgymnasium in Zagreb, before taking a position at the School of Crafts in 1895, and later at the School of Arts (later the Academy) from 1908 onwards. In the same year, he was elected president of the Lada art association. He travelled extensively across Croatia, Italy, Germany, and America, and during World War I, he served as a military painter. Alongside Menci Clement Crnčić, he is regarded as one of the foremost figures in historical painting in Croatia, particularly works inspired by national themes. In his later years, he withdrew to Veliki Tabor in Hrvatsko Zagorje.
The vertical format of the painting Paklenica Valley on Velebit enhances the impression of a rocky gorge, through which a group of figures moves in the valley: at the forefront, two riders in more ornate clothing are mounted on horses, followed at a short distance by infantry soldiers in grey medieval armour, which merge with the hues of the surrounding rocks. The vegetation is sparse, reinforcing the sense of military and wartime harshness. This is further heightened by the prevailing grey tones of the bare stone, which are reflected in the grey-blue hues of the sky. The scene is painted in clear daylight, establishing an atmosphere of a cold, frosty light.

Text: Ivana Rončević Elezović PhD, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Vjekoslav Rukljač, Nude, 1963

Vjekoslav Rukljač
(1916 – 1997)
Nude, 1963
carving, alabaster
40 x 23 x 15 cm
MG-2651

Vjekoslav Rukljač graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1943, in the class of F. Kršinić, and taught at the same Academy from 1948 to 1986.
Working in marble and plaster, and both small and large formats, he produced poetic female nudes and torsos, ranging from solid, enclosed volumes to forms emphasising only the outline. He created numerous portraits of notable figures (Vladimir Nazor, 1949; Marko Orešković, 1981) and public monuments commemorating World War II casualties (Jesenje near Krapina, 1957; Bedekovčina, 1976).
The intimate sculpture Nude presents a poetic depiction of a seated young woman, with delicate suggestions of her features and her legs drawn together, wrapped by her arms. The form is distilled to its essence, softened by the smooth surface treatment and the subdued inner sheen of the alabaster. The diagonally cut surface of the head, along with the textured hair and plinth, contrast with the smooth finish of the volume and the subtle reduction and stylisation of the form.

Text: Tatijana Gareljić, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Kamilo Tompa Atomic Mushroom Cloud, undated

Kamilo Tompa
Atomic Mushroom Cloud, undated
ink on paper
345 x 255 mm
MG-5730

Visual art has seldom succeeded in capturing the devastating power of the atomic bomb. Attempts by traditional visual arts to portray atomic explosions have often veered toward sentimentality, to the extent that painters and sculptors seem to have left this subject to film and photography. Indeed, one of the most striking and critical representations of the atomic bomb may be found in experimental film. Bruce Conner’s 1975 short film Crossroads presents an underwater atomic explosion carried out by the U.S. military at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific in 1946. The film consists solely of archival military footage, played in slow motion and extended to a length of 37 minutes.
Perhaps it was his early attempt in 1937 to construct a stroboscope to create his own animated film; perhaps it was his failed stroboscope experiment that led him to write to Walt Disney, sending drawings and requesting funds to pursue his vision; or perhaps it was his keen interest in aeronautics and astronomy – whatever the reason, Kamilo Tompa succeeded in depicting an atomic explosion through the traditional medium of painting. He particularly excelled in conveying the rise of the radioactive dust cloud; the force of this movement is vividly clear, adding a sinister quality to the drawing. The drawing also has a playful quality – some forms emerged almost by accident, with the tilting of the paper and the spread of black ink – yet this does not lessen the scene’s gravity. Tompa obtained a degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1926. He joined the Zemlja Association of Artists in 1931, the same year he founded the People’s Theatre in Zagreb. His interests were broad and varied – animated film, children’s creativity, theatre, set design, and more – and he found success in each of these areas. In 1967, he received the Vladimir Nazor Lifetime Achievement Award.

Text: Klaudio Štefančić, senior curator of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Ivan Simonetti, Portrait of Bishop Strossmayer, 1870 – 1871

Ivan Simonetti
(1817 – 1880)
Portrait of Bishop Strossmayer, 1870 – 1871
oil on canvas, 65.5x50.9cm
MG-68

Simonetti is regarded as one of the most prominent artists in 19th-century Rijeka. After receiving a scholarship, he studied painting in Venice, completing his studies in 1838. Upon returning to Rijeka, he created numerous portraits of dignitaries, with styles spanning from classicism to later realistic portraits. Between 1842 and 1850, he travelled frequently between Rijeka and Italy (Rome, Florence), before finally settling in Venice, where he lived until his death.
In 1865, he met Bishop Strossmayer, for whom he acquired a significant collection of paintings by old masters. The Portrait of Bishop Strossmayer (1870–1871) was created during this period of collaboration. It is a typical academic portrait of a dignitary, yet Simonetti introduces a sense of informality, depicting the bishop with tousled, unkempt hair, thus contributing to the tradition of realistic portraiture in Croatian art.

Text: Dajana Vlaisavljević, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Museum-education project of the National Museum of Modern Art 10 Schools – 10 Artists

The twentieth anniversary museum-education project of the National Museum of Modern Art, 10 Schools – 10 Artists, conceived by Ivana Rončević Elezović, PhD, NMMU museum consultant, will, as it did last year, be held at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery (https://gkd.hr/) due to the ongoing comprehensive renovation of the Vranyczany-Dobrinović Palace, the NMMU headquarters.
On 22 November, a full-day event will bring together secondary school students and their teachers/mentors from various regions of Croatia. The event is connected to the exhibition Masterpieces of Hungarian and Croatian Art, focusing on works and artists from the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art that are featured in the exhibition. Through this project, students will gain new insights and develop a deeper connection with both the subject matter they are exploring and the museum itself, while also taking on the roles of researchers and presenters of their own projects. The schools participating in the 10 Schools 10 Artists 2024 project include: Matija Antun Reljković Grammar School, Vinkovci; Valpovo Secondary School; I Grammar School, Osijek; XVI Grammar School, Zagreb; Classical Grammar School, Zagreb; Second Grammar School Varaždin; First Croatian Grammar School in Rijeka; Vladimir Nazor Grammar School, Zadar; IV Grammar School “Marko Marulić”, Split; and Grammar School Dubrovnik.
The National Museum of Modern Art would like to thank Antonio Picukarić, Director of the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, and museum consultants Petra Vugrinec, PhD and Ljiljana Velkovski for their collaboration and for hosting the project, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Zagreb for their support in bringing it to fruition.

As we prepare for this year’s 10 Schools 10 Artists project, we offer you a snapshot of last year’s edition through the video available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAwtz_YEjcE. Video: Goran Vranić / Technical support and video editing Mihovil Krušlin, Font 12

Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Reproductions: from the NMMU museum-education project 10 Schools – 10 Artists 2023, at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Miroslav Šutej, Print, 1974

Miroslav Šutej
Print, 1974
ink on paper; watercolour
665 x 780 mm
MG-3380-2

Miroslav Šutej graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1961, in the class of Marijan Detoni. He was a member of K. Hegedušić’s Master Workshop and subsequently became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in both Zagreb and Široki Brijeg. While initially formed in the tradition of Op art, he later expanded his work to include vibrant collages and picto-drawings, drawing inspiration from popular and folk culture.
The Print, created using ink and watercolour techniques, consists of several colouristically marked objects connected to paper, allowing them to be moved. Sections of the drawing can rotate 360 degrees around their axes, crossing the edges of the artwork and continuously forming new shapes. In doing so, Šutej produces an open work, a concept introduced by Umberto Eco, which aims to blur the lines between the artist and the observer. By interacting with and modifying the artwork, the observer transitions from a passive recipient to an active creator, developing a new piece that the artist has only suggested, thereby leaving the potential for its creation open.

Text: Filip Kučeković curator intern at the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Vlasta Delimar, Untitled, 1986.

Vlasta Delimar
Untitled, 1986.
combined technique
200 x 140 cm
MG-6360

Over time, feminist art evolved from an unexpected "phenomenon" to one of the critical determinants of contemporary artistic production. The explicitly feminist artistic discourse of Vlasta Delimar (1956) reexamines the construction of female identity, which the author simultaneously perceives as both collective and personal. Delimar started performing in the seventies of the last century as an associated Group of Six Artists member. Within the framework of post-conceptualist searches, through provocative performances, she explores topics related to the female body and the position of women in society, as well as male-female relationships. With body art, that is, with her own body, she goes beyond stereotypical social codes and interprets deviant social phenomena through artistic self-reflection and self-representation. By using new media and artistic accents, including various props, characters, actions, and environments, she questions the role and position of women in society on a symbolic-expressive level.
Despite the autobiographical approach, Vlasta Delimar is characterized by a cyclical exploration of relationships and communication mechanisms, an insistence on reconciliation, and closer self-awareness of our existing gender and sexual differences. Photography is her primary medium, enabling direct documentation and (self) presentation, which she manipulates through interventions such as painting, cutting, or, in this case, collage on silk fabric. With a kind of aggressive approach, with a solid frontal exposure, it disrupts the traditional power dynamics between the observer and the observed, especially challenging the notion of objectification of women and the female body.

Text: Marta Radman, curator of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Marta Radman
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Vinko Uhlik Under the Walls, 1987

Vinko Uhlik
Under the Walls, 1987
tempera on paper
84 x 58 cm
MG-8629

Vinko Uhlik, an architect and painter, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, in the class of Oton Postružnik. He was employed at the Projektant architectural firm in Zagreb, where he designed the new Zagreb neighbourhoods of Siget, Utrina, Središće, and Zapruđe. In 2020, he was honoured with the “Vladimir Nazor” Lifetime Achievement Award.
In the drawing Under the Walls, the buildings and walls are elongated, occupying a significant portion of the image’s surface. By employing a particular perspective, the artist angles the corners of the structures towards the observer, drawing them into the scene and inviting them into the street depicted in front of them. The scene is enlivened by a vibrant colour palette and visible brushstrokes that contribute to the texture of the painted objects. In places where the two coloured surfaces meet, there are visible lines that form the painted shapes. Through this technique, Uhlik aims to bring life to visual media by using their basic elements, surfaces and lines, and demonstrates that painting does not require external impulses to fulfil its representational function.

Text: Filip Kučeković, intern curator at the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Oton Iveković, Interesting Reading, 1901

Oton Iveković
Interesting Reading, 1901
oil on canvas
70 x 50 cm
MG-389

Oton Iveković (1869–1939) studied painting in Zagreb under Ferdo Quiquerez, then from 1886 in Vienna under Christian Griepenkerl and August Eisenmenger, and finally in Munich under Wilhelm von Lindenschmit and in Karlsruhe under Ferdinand von Keller. He worked as a drawing teacher at a grammar school in Zagreb, from 1895 at the School of Crafts and from 1908 at the College of Arts (today’s Academy of Fine Arts). In 1908, he was elected as president of the Lada Croatian Artists’ Association. He travelled across Croatia, Italy, Germany and the USA, and during World War I he worked as a war painter. Along with Menci Clement Crnčić, Iveković is considered as one of the most prominent representatives of historical painting in Croatia, particularly inspired by national sentiment. Towards the end of his life, he retired to Veliki Tabor Castle in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje.
The vertical composition depicts a genre scene of a girl reading while seated on a garden bench, shaded by the tree canopy. She holds a book with a red cover in her hands. Her left arm, bent at the elbow, hangs loosely by her side, while her right arm rests on the bench’s back. The red accent of the book in the upper part of the painting is echoed by the red flowers in pots in the lower part, creating a complementary contrast to the green foliage in the background.
The painting is created with a blotchy technique and light colours in plein air, giving it an almost Impressionistic feel. The red accents are prominent among the green, brown, and yellowish hues of the garden, bench, and plant pots, as is the blue-and-white contrast of the girl’s dress. The central elements of the girl, bench, and plant pots form a triangle within the garden scene, providing stability to the composition.

Text: PhD Ivana Rončević Elezović, museum consultant of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

Vladimir Becić Threshing I, 1935, Threshing II, 1934

 

Vladimir Becić

Threshing I, 1935
ink, watercolour
480 mm x 615 mm
MG- 881

Threshing II, 1934
ink, watercolour
479 mm x 621 mm
MG-888

Although these two watercolours are not included among Vladimir Becić’s major works, it is surprising that they have been overlooked by the art public. There are several reasons for this. First, history of art has always regarded easel painting as superior to drawing, watercolour, or tempera. Professional community typically evaluates the quality of an artist’s work through painting. Second, the motifs in these watercolours have also been explored in Becić’s paintings, likely leading researchers to see little reason for further study. Finally, “Threshing I” and “Threshing II” are seldom exhibited or reproduced, which has hindered their visibility to both experts and the wider audience.

Vladimir Becić is a representative of the modernist concept of ‘pure painting.’ Born in Slavonski Brod in 1886, he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1906. In 1909, he moved to Paris, but after exhibiting at the Paris Autumn Salon, he returned to Croatia and settled in Osijek. He served as an official war artist for the Serbian army during World War I, and after the war, he made his home in Blažuj near Sarajevo. It was during this time that Becić developed an interest in depicting rural everyday life. At their core, both “Threshing” watercolours belong to the pastoral genre. In both literature and visual art, pastoral scenes traditionally illustrate the interaction between people and nature, presenting their relationship as harmonious. The application of pastoral themes in Modern art, particularly Croatian art during the interwar period, was marked by regionalism and ruralism, phenomena that emphasised one geographical area over another and elevated rural life above urban living. Considering Becić’s time in the village of Blažuj and his pronounced affinity for the ideology of popular, South Slavic culture, which he expressed particularly strongly since World War I, we can assert that all aspects of this pastoral variant are evident in the watercolours. However, Becić would not be regarded as a modern painter if he did not modernise the scene in some way. Thus, both watercolours feature not only peasants but also a threshing machine used to separate the grain from the stalks.

Text: Klaudio Štefančić, senior curator of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Robertina Tomić
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

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