Marijan Matijević
1907 – 1971
Female Nude
1938 – 1939
casting, bronze
32 x 7 x 9 cm
inv. no. MG-1422
Matijević attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb from 1923 to 1927, followed by advanced studies under Ivan Meštrović and a two-year specialisation in Paris. Upon his return, he worked as a grammar school teacher. From 1943 until his death, he lived and worked in Austria, mostly in Vienna. He staged a well-regarded solo exhibition in 1931 and participated in a group exhibition in Zagreb in 1939. Among his more important works is the monument to the prominent Croatian politician Eugen Kvaternik in Rakovica. In addition to public monuments, he also created portraits and female figures in a manner of simple idealisation.
The female nude is posed in contrapposto, with the head turned towards the left shoulder. The right arm is held close to the body, bent at the elbow, and wraps around the waist. The left arm extends down the body, holding a piece of drapery. The breasts are subtly accentuated, and the legs appear full. The figure stands on a small square pedestal, integrated into the composition. The lower body is slightly inclined to the left, giving an impression of movement and soft compositional dynamism. The form is full, with a graceful closed stance, and the modelling is executed in a realistic manner.
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 © Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb