Vanja Radauš
(1906 – 1975)
Female Torso, 1934
casting, bronze
58 x 17.5 x 25 cm
MG-1375
Radauš studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb under R. Frangeš Mihanović and R. Valdec, graduating in 1930 from I. Meštrović’s advanced course. He visited Paris several times (1928, 1930, 1931), where he encountered the works of A. Watteau, A. Rodin, and A. Bourdelle. His exposure to Michelangelo’s works in Italy in 1937 steered him towards expressiveness, movement, and drama, which became key features of his sculptural style. From 1940, he taught at the School of Crafts in Zagreb, and from 1945 until his retirement in 1969, he was a full professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb.
His social sensitivity and passionate commitment led him to join the Zemlja Association of Artists, where he was a member from 1932 to 1933. The principles of this socially engaged group would remain a permanent influence on both his personal and artistic choices. His works, including figures, portraits, and nudes, showcase expressiveness, dynamism, skilled modelling, and a focus on society’s marginalised members. He left a lasting impact in all areas of sculpture, from medals, terracotta, plaster, stone, wax, and bronze works, to public monuments, such as the Falling (Wounded Man) sculpture from 1938, which is located in the courtyard of the National Museum of Modern Art (A. Hebranga 1, Zagreb).
The powerful female nude is dramatically contorted, almost to the point of collapsing. Her head is tilted back towards the left shoulder and back. The pained expression on her face, coupled with her arms violently severed at the upper arms, intensifies the dramatic and expressive portrayal of existential helplessness.
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