Robert Jean-Ivanović
(1889 – 1968)
Kneeling Female Nude, 1918
casting, bronze
27.2 x 12.5 x 16.7 cm
MG-2511
A Croatian sculptor, model maker, and secondary school teacher, he studied sculpture at the academies in Zagreb (1908-1909, 1911-1914) and Munich (1909-1910), and further honed his skills at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1915-1916).
The foundations of Robert Jean Ivanović’s artistic work were established during his studies in Zagreb under Professor Robert Frangeš-Mihanović. His early inspiration from Munich’s Jugendstil and the classical Prague environment, influenced by the socially engaged iconic of Constantin Meunier and the lyrical nudes of Ivan Meštrović, shaped his creative development. His primary artistic focus was on the human figure and portrait. Initially, he focused on studies of the male body and dynamically fragmented male figures engaged in strenuous physical labour. He meticulously developed individual strained bodies with expressive musculature and integrated them into compositions of the Work cycle (1915-1918). At the same time, he produced works inspired by symbolism in the Love cycle (1918/19).
The most substantial thematic segment of Ivanović’s work comprises poetic studies of female figures. Whether rendered in full sculpture or shallow relief, these pieces are characterised by an ethereal quality, soft and delicate execution, graceful postures, and refined modelling, as seen in the reliefs Girl with a Rose (circa 1920) and Portrait of a Young Girl (1922). The Marble Female Torso (circa 1937) and its bronze counterpart Female Torso – Amazon Woman (c. 1940) are among the sculptor’s final works, capturing the beauty of the female form with a balanced harmony and poetic essence.
The sculpture Kneeling Female Nude is an intimate, chamber piece characterised by Art Nouveau stylisation. The young woman is depicted in an intriguing seated position with her back upright, her right leg tucked under her, and her left leg bent at the knee. Her left arm is positioned away from her body with small, firm breasts, resting on the support she is seated on. Her head is slightly bowed, her facial expression serious, with hair parted over the forehead and styled over her ears. Light glides effortlessly over the smooth surfaces, creating an impression of charm and tenderness.
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
