Ivan Tišov, Astronomer, 1900 (?)

Ivan Tišov
Astronomer, 1900 (?)
oil on canvas
47.8 x 68.6 cm
MG-337

Ivan Tišov (1870 – 1928) was educated at the School of Crafts in Zagreb, where he later worked as a professor. He continued his studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna and the Academy in Munich, and in 1913/14, he advanced his training at the Académie Julian in Paris. Tišov’s painting was primarily characterised by academic realism, incorporating elements of plein-air painting and symbolism, in line with the artistic movements of his time. Among his notable public commissions are the decoration of the “Golden Hall” in the Department of Religious Affairs and Education in Zagreb (1893–96), the foyer of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (1905), the National and University Library (1914), as well as the decoration of his own home in Zagreb.
The composition, designed in an unusual format combining a square and an oval, portrays a seated 19th-century scientist positioned diagonally along the right edge. He is depicted with astronomical instruments, writing tools, and papers. Set against a celestial background painted in a vibrant Divisionist style, the scientist gazes at a vision of a woman emerging in radiant, shimmering whiteness from the contrasting deep, dark blue-black tones of the night sky. This piece serves as an allegory of Science and was created as a preparatory study for a wall decoration later realised in the “Golden Hall” of the Department of Religious Affairs and Education (now the Croatian Institute of History). It formed part of a programme overseen by the department’s then-director, Izidor Kršnjavi (1845–1927). The hall, encompassing the full height and depth of the building, is opulently decorated with gilding in the High Renaissance style and features works by leading artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Vlaho Bukovac (1855–1922), Mato Celestin Medović (1857–1920), Oton Iveković (1869–1939), Bela Čikoš Sesija (1864–1931), Ferdo Kovačević (1870–1927), Ivan Tišov, and Robert Frangeš Mihanović (1872–1940). This Gesamtkunstwerk of historicist decoration stands as a testament to Croatian modern art, encompassing a range of styles from the luminous palette of academic realism to the evocative symbolism characteristic of European art from this period.

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

Oton Iveković, A Forest, 1900

Oton Iveković
A Forest, 1900
oil on canvas
80.7×66 cm
MG-2359

Oton Iveković (1869-1939) studied painting in Zagreb under painter Ferdo Quiquerez, then from 1886 in Vienna under painters Christian Griepenkerl and August Eisenmenger, and finally in Munich under Wilhelm von Lindenschmit the Younger and in Karlsruhe under painter 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, Iveković 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 artist. Besides Menci Clement Crnčić, Iveković is considered to be one of the most prominent representatives of Historicism in Croatia, particularly of patriotically inspired and inspirited History Painting. Towards the end of his life, he retreated to the fortress of Veliki Tabor in Croatia’s north-western region of Zagorje.

The popularity of Oton Iveković as a history painter has often pushed into the background his exceptional talent for and achievements in depicting realistically the atmosphere of one of the seasons in his landscapes. One of the most beautiful examples of this is his A Forest from 1900, which is a simple vertical composition divided into three parts: the upper third of the painting is a depiction of a grey and foggy autumn sky, the central third is occupied by the red hues of forest leaves in autumn, and the lower third depicts a grass-covered clearing in front of the forest in dark greens and light ochres.

Text: Ivana Rončević Elezović, senior curator of the National Museum of Modern Art © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Translated by: Ana Janković
Photo: Goran Vranić © National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb

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