Gabrijel Stupica, Self-portrait with a Friend, 1941

Gabrijel Stupica
Self-portrait with a Friend, 1941
oil on wood
61.5 x 54 cm
MG-1754

Gabrijel Stupica (1913 – 1990) was born in Dražgoš, Slovenia. he began studying painting in 1931 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and graduated in 1936 in the class of Professor Ljuba Babić. He lived and worked in Zagreb for ten years before being appointed professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana in 1946.
"Self-Portrait with a Friend" shows Stupica's technical and stylistic skills and reflects his personal and professional life in Zagreb during the 1930s and 1940s. The picture shows two men; the author, Gabrijel Stupica, looks towards the observer, and the other man, a friend, is placed in the background and partially hidden by the shadow. The composition is dark tones, with accentuated contrasts of light and shadow. The palette of colors and techniques are reminiscent of the works of old masters, especially those from the Spanish "Golden Age," which significantly influenced Stupica. We date the work to when Stupica was demobilized (during the Second World War), which can further explain the severe tone and reflective nature. Through dark tones, complex composition, and psychological depth, Stupica conveys his introspection and the influence of the cultural milieu of that time. he takes a portrait with a friend, breaking traditional gender norms, often excluding emotional closeness between men in art. The depiction of two men in a complex emotional dynamic explores the layers of female friendship, support, and intimacy.

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

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