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
