Foreword
Ivana Rončević Elezović
Back to Unattributed and undated works
Unattributed and Undated Works in the Holdings of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb
Introduction
One hundred and thirty-two unattributed and undated paintings in the holdings of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb constitute a fascinating body of work, hitherto unknown to both scholars and the wider public. The works include portraits, landscapes, vedute, interiors, animal paintings, mythological and genre scenes, religious themes, still lifes, nudes, and exotic examples such as a number of woodcuts featuring Japanese motifs. The majority of these works date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, with a few likely originating earlier, probably in the 18th century. Stylistically, they include Biedermeier, Classicist, Romantic, and Realist works, as well as a number of pieces showing early 20th-century avant-garde influences.
The project, requiring a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, was carried out by the curatorial team (Dajana Vlaisavljević and Ivana Rončević Elezović PhD, museum advisors at NMMU) together with the restoration team (Petra Kursar MA, Marija Kalmeta, and Ana Dumbović, senior conservators-restorers, and Sonja Pavin, conservator-restorer, all at NMMU), with contributions from senior photographer Jovan Kliska and IT specialist Mihovil Krušlin. Due to the specific nature of the material, the work took considerable time, and its conclusions, including estimates of dating, stylistic and iconographic analyses, provenance, and occasional new attributions or restoration findings, are presented here through the medium of a virtual exhibition.[1]
Examination of the artworks revealed, to our pleasant surprise, that many possess a high level of artistic and technical quality, characteristic of the holdings of a European city from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Old inventory books and markings on the backs of the paintings show that a number of these works came into the museum through the so-called KOMZA,[2] which operated in Zagreb from 1945 to 1954, assigning objects to museums and other institutions for safekeeping.[3] Based on the low inventory numbers, some of the unattributed works were entered directly into the museum’s Inventory Books, while others remained in the NMMU Storage Book for many years, only being transferred to the museum’s inventory through donation agreements and similar means in more recent times.[4] This body of works should be seen as a document of its time and a snapshot of Zagreb’s bourgeois cultural scene in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. The fate of this nearly forgotten and largely unknown heritage in the museum’s storerooms captured the interest of the curatorial staff, who resolved to gradually catalogue, study, and present the works to the public. The restoration of these works has proven highly complex and demanding, requiring collaboration with numerous external specialists and institutions, and cannot be completed in the short term.[5] It is therefore treated as an ongoing museum project, continuing beyond the opening of this exhibition.
The exhibition aims to study and present the artworks through detailed examination and documentation of the paintings themselves (including photographs of the entire work, details, reverse sides, and images captured using ultraviolet fluorescence [UVF]), combined with research into archival sources and scholarly literature. Since these works have generally not been exhibited before, this offers a valuable insight into the holdings of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb. It also provides an opportunity for comprehensive conservation treatment. During this process, interesting discoveries relating to the paintings are likely to emerge, which will be documented and presented in separate conservation reports.
This painting corpus can be categorised into four main groups according to subject matter: portraiture, landscapes, vedute, and interiors; animal painting, and other less common subjects, including religious works, mythological scenes, still lifes, historical themes, and genre scenes. This last category also contains six Japanese woodcuts, which would require assessment by specialised experts. Their presence is particularly noteworthy in a collection of bourgeois character, reflecting the influence of Japanese art on Western painting in the second half of the 19th century, including its embrace of minimalism, the inherent two-dimensionality of the medium, and linearity.
Portraiture
Portraiture is the largest of these subcategories, particularly in the Biedermeier style, whose quality was highlighted by Dajana Vlaisavljević in the 1997 exhibition 19th-Century Portraits from the Modern Gallery Holdings.[6] The term Biedermeier, used to describe a Central European artistic style roughly spanning 1815 to 1848, derives from the fictional character Gottlieb Biedermaier, a village schoolteacher in historical Swabia,[7] created by the German lawyer and humorous poet Ludwig Friedrich Eichrodt (1798–1844) and his colleague, the internist and gastroenterologist Adolf Kussmaul (1822–1902).[8] While originally somewhat pejorative, as the character represented a well-meaning petty bourgeois of narrow outlook and submissive, servile mentality, the term has long also been interpreted in a more positive, even emancipatory sense. In fact, Biedermeier was not only a symbol of the emergence and rise of a new bourgeois class, gradually overtaking the aristocracy and signalling a broad transformation of society in line with the technological advances of the modern era, but also developed stylistically in contrast to the lavish, ornate forms of the Napoleonic Empire style. This involved a simplification of form, resulting in pronounced geometrisation suited to more modest bourgeois interiors, while drawing on the Classical forms of late 18th-century England and the style associated with the reign of France’s last king, Louis-Philippe (1773–1850). In this sense, Biedermeier can be regarded as a forerunner of modernist design, emphasising simplicity, clarity, honesty, functionality, and minimalism. Its use of affordable, locally sourced materials in the production of objects of applied arts allowed for wider and more democratic access, reinforcing its connection to modernist ideals. The style found particular expression in applied arts, and in Croatia the term was introduced via Vienna, becoming established in the second half of the 19th century, mainly in reference to the Alt-Wien (Old Vienna) style of bourgeois apartment interiors. In this context, the production of bourgeois portraits increased, serving as symbols of a new social status – subjects once reserved for the nobility and high-ranking church officials. The Biedermeier bourgeois portrait thus became a hallmark of the period, marked by psychological characterisation, pronounced linearity of smooth surfaces, simplified forms, and an intimate atmosphere, often depicting bourgeois interiors and gardens. Among the works examined, many preserved in their original, representative frames, which should be considered integral to the paintings, the Portrait of a Lady (MG-58) stands out for its quality. Dated to the first half of the 19th century, it is particularly notable for its intricate depiction of jewellery, which can be appreciated almost as miniature paintings in their own right.[9] In terms of the sitter’s pose, composition, style, subject, and motifs (jewellery), this painting closely resembles Vjekoslav Karas’s (1821–1858) Portrait of Josipa Dadić (1852–1856), also held in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art.[10] According to Petra Kursar, MA, senior conservator-restorer at NMMU, the work was restored using a traditional wax restoration technique, with the Inventory Book recording the restoration period as 21 June to 10 August 1949.[11] Also of interest is the miniature Portrait of a Woman by an unknown Dalmatian painter (MG-2030), dated to the same period, for which the limited documentation was obtained from an inscription on the reverse of the painting. Also noteworthy is the outstanding Woman in a Blue Dress (MG-2003), seated on a simple Biedermeier chair with a semicircular backrest, hands folded in her lap, and hair neatly parted in the centre and styled in a bun. The painting features a masterful depiction of the blue drapery, harmonising with the light blue of her expressive eyes, as well as a striking rendering of jewellery and pink-tinged flowering green branches along the right edge. The work was acquired from a private owner for 12,500 dinars at a Gallery Committee meeting on 22 February 1951.[12] In collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, organised by Petra Kursar, MA, Head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration at NMMU, the painting was meticulously restored and cleaned by conservator-restorer Iva Galijan. The removal of surface dirt and old varnish revealed the signature Schorn.[13] Galijan proposed that the work may be by the German Neoclassical and Biedermeier painter Karl Schorn (1803–1850).[14] This attribution is supported by a comparison of Woman in a Blue Dress with other works by Schorn, showing a consistent style and a delicate sensitivity in the depiction of female figures. Also notable for its quality is the Portrait of Josip Juraj Strossmayer (MG-54), acquired by the museum from a private owner in 1947 and subsequently restored between 24 July 1949 and 23 December 1952.[15] The painting has been dated to the mid-19th century and is tentatively attributed to Ivan Zasche (1825–1863), a Croatian painter of Czech descent who studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts from 1846 to 1850. Invited by Bishop Juraj Haulik (1788–1869), Zasche settled permanently in Zagreb, where he produced numerous Biedermeier works, including both formal and intimate portraits, miniatures, luminous landscapes, city views, altar paintings, and a series of detailed drawings of traditional costumes from the Lika region. This attribution is further supported by a label on the back of the painting, reading artist: Ivan Zasche (?). The Portrait of Josip Juraj Strossmayer shares stylistic and artistic affinities with Zasche’s well-known Portrait of Ban Josip Jelačić in the Croatian History Museum in Zagreb, painted before 1863, as well as with his Portrait of an Old Man from 1857, both works demonstrating a similarly penetrating psychological character and expressive gaze. The rendering of the folds in the bishop’s cloak and uniform closely resembles the treatment of the dress in Zasche’s Portrait of Julijana Koritić de Mrazovečka from the mid-19th century, both paintings being part of the National Museum of Modern Art holdings.[16] The superior quality of Strossmayer’s portrait is especially apparent when compared with the Portrait of a Dignitary by an unknown artist, dated to the last quarter of the 19th century (MG-3051),[17] which is of a lesser artistic standard; the rendering of the uniform, hands, and facial features appears flatter and less refined. The painting was acquired by the NMMU based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-73, dated on 23 April 1973, and had previously been listed in the KOMZA Register under entry number 117. [18] While noteworthy, the Portrait of a Lady with a Red Shawl (MG-55) and the Dubrovnik Patrician Woman (MG-2017), the latter entering the NMMU collection as a gift from the Slepčević family,[19] both dated to the first half of the 19th century, along with the Portrait of a Priest from the second half of the 19th century (MG-3068) and the Portrait of Ferdo Rusan (1810–1879), a Croatian amateur musician and composer of marches (MG-45), are of lesser quality, showing awkward proportions, stiff and unrefined modelling, limited sense of depth, and clumsy handling of details and colour. In Rusan’s portrait, a handwritten ink label on the back of the canvas at its centre reads: U 45 godini / života svoga / Rusan Ferdo (At the age of 45 / Rusan Ferdo), enabling the painting to be precisely dated to 1855.[20] The Portrait of a Lady (MG-49), dated to the third quarter of the 19th century, despite some proportional inaccuracies, captivates the observer through the sitter’s expressive gaze, the gentle softness of the flesh tones, and the accomplished depiction of jewellery and the translucent dark green veil on the sleeves.[21]
A distinctive subgenre of Biedermeier portraiture, in keeping with the style’s characteristic mood and ambience, is bourgeois family and children’s portraits. These works often place their subjects in gardens, providing opportunities to depict popular floral motifs, or in the intimate interiors of bourgeois homes, with everyday objects such as toys and other domestic items adding to the sense of daily life.
The first group of family portraits consists of the common practice of portraying spouses side by side, as seen in the well-known portraits of Ana and Miško Krešić, merchants from Karlovac, painted by Vjekoslav Karas between 1852 and 1856, which are also held in the Collection of the National Museum of Modern Art.[22] These paired portraits, of identical dimensions, are usually presented in matching representative frames to highlight their purpose as a unified artistic ensemble. Using the same approach, the collection also includes two high-quality Biedermeier pairs of spouses by unknown artists. The first depicts the Portrait of a Man in an Illyrian Uniform (MG-712), and the second the Portrait of a Lady (MG-729), which is particularly distinguished by the overall quality, attention to detail (again seen in the jewellery, floral motifs [this time in the hair], the treatment of drapery, especially the fur and the translucent veil, the depiction of furniture, and the small notebook with handwritten notes resting on the table that supports the sitter), alongside a notable psychological depth. Based on the painting style and the historical reference to the Illyrian movement, both works are dated to the second quarter of the 19th century, around its midpoint. The portraits are presented in simple, deliberately geometric, matching frames with inlays and highly simplified ornamentation, rectangular on the outside and octagonal towards the painting edge, adapted to the subframe, a feature that, according to Petra Kursar, MA, conservator-restorer at NMMU, is exceptionally rare. On back of the man’s portrait we discovered a note reading, Villa Frapar 1969, while the lady’s is marked Collection Frapar, Lovran, no. 30 / 1968, likely referring to the paintings’ provenance at Villa Frappart in Lovran and their subsequent acquisition by the museum. In the inventory book, the corresponding entries are similarly annotated with Lovran / Villa Frapar or Collection Frapar.[23] Villa Frappart is one of the most beautiful residential villas in Lovran. It was commissioned between 1894 and 1904 by the Viennese lawyer Michel Ruault Frappart (?–?), son of the celebrated Vienna Opera choreographer and dancer Louis Frappart (1832–1921), who was portrayed in a graphic work in 1895 by Menci Clement Crnčić (1865–1930). Together with Franz Gaul (1837–1906), a costume designer at the Vienna Court Opera, Louis Frappart wrote the scenario for the first Croatian ballet, Jela by Bela de Adamović (1856–1934), based on a verse fairy tale by Friedrich Rückert (1788–1866), which premiered at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb in 1898. Originally named San Michaele, the villa stood in seclusion. It was designed by Carl Seidl (1858–1936), who frequently worked in Opatija and Lovran at the time, and was awarded a state prize for the project in 1914. On the back of the lady’s portrait, there is also a stamp reading Coller und CAIN Wien, vormalls V. Hall, likely referring to the framing workshop that framed the painting. The other pair of spouses is represented by the Portrait of a Lady and Portrait of a Gentleman from 1880 (MG-6531 and MG-6532), identified through a faintly scratched signature with a date located near the centre of the right edge of the gentleman’s portrait. Although the signature in script is completely illegible, we were able to ascertain the year of creation for both paintings. These Biedermeier portraits are exceptionally well executed, with their later dating reflecting the frequent stylistic delays in 19th-century Croatian art. They are preserved in fine gilt frames with an oval cut-out. The paintings are notable for the masterful portrayal of character, the gentleman’s weary expression and the lady’s pensive gaze, combined with a skilful, almost naturalistic realism. The works were purchased from a private owner in Zagreb for 4,000.00 kuna.[24]
Children’s portraits form a subcategory of Biedermeier bourgeois family portraiture. A particularly fine example is the charming Portrait of a Boy with Crossed Arms (MG-53), painted to chest height, which successfully captures a relaxed posture and a dreamy expression; it has been dated to the second half of the 19th century. On the back of the frame is an old museum label attributing the work to a certain Seethelner, about whom no biographical information is available.[25] Another notable example is the larger group portrait Three Children (from the Stanković Family) (MG-56), dated to the first half of the 19th century. While less accomplished than the previous work, due to stiff poses and slightly awkward proportions, it remains highly impressive as a typical Biedermeier composition set in a garden, complete with flora and fauna (including a white dove held by an older girl dressed in blue). The delightful Girl Behind a Red Curtain (MG-3073), according to a partially legible handwritten note on the back of the canvas in German, is a copy of an original by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793–1865), the Viennese Neoclassical and Biedermeier painter who greatly influenced 19th-century Austrian and Croatian artists. It depicts the young Countess Elizabeta Batthyány (1820–1882), later married to Count Karl (Dragutin) Drašković (1873–1900), a prominent figure in early Croatian photography, particularly celebrated for his studies of frozen motion captured from multiple angles in the 1894 photograph Stjepan Erdödy’s Leap, which was regularly exhibited in the collection of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb.[26] A copy of solid artistic quality, albeit without Waldmüller’s signature virtuosity, was executed in 1841 by Gustav Poša (1825–1900), a Biedermeier painter from Požega known for his distinctive style and oeuvre, as we were finally able to determine after painstaking efforts to decipher the damaged handwritten inscription.[27]
Straddling the boundary between Romantic and Biedermeier expression are two accomplished portraits: the Portrait of a Man (MG-57), dating from the first half of the 19th century and set within an oval frame, and the Portrait of a Maiden (MG-2785) from the mid-19th century, both characterised by their dreamy gazes.[28] This hybrid interplay of Romanticism and Biedermeier is hardly surprising, given that the two stylistic tendencies overlapped chronologically. Romanticism shaped European cultural history from the 1790s through the 1840s, and in contrast to the orderly principles of Classicism, it placed emphasis on the picturesque and the melancholic, on the irrational, the subjective and the transcendent, while fostering a cult of genius, heroism, nature, and the extraordinary.
The shift towards a more modern realism, characteristic of the last quarter of the 19th century, is exemplified in the accomplished and unsentimental Portrait of Adolf Veber Tkalčević (MG-339).[29] Painted with a divisionist technique of fine, hatched strokes, it generates a vibrant surface, a feature typical of Central European painting with Symbolist inclinations at the turn of the 20th century. In contrast, the Portrait of Count Julije Janković (MG-47), executed in a more refined yet equally skilful realist manner and probably dating from the 1830s, despite a doubtful inscription on the reverse indicating 1859 (?), retains elements of Romantic sentimentality in its composition, expression, and characterisation.[30]
Also noteworthy are two Art Deco portraits: the Portrait of a Lady (MG-1189),[31] broadly dated to the early 20th century, and the Portrait of a Man (MG-3079). The latter includes a faint handwritten German inscription in the lower left corner, dedicated to Princess Sophie with deepest respect and signed, it seems, by the donor, Walth. Illser (?). This note provides a precise date of execution: 18 July 1919.[32] Typical of 1920s and 1930s popular portraiture, these pastel-on-paper works convey a light, airy quality in keeping with the spirit of the “Roaring Twenties.” In style, technique, and mood, they are akin to the portraits of Otto Antonini (1892–1959), shown in the NMMU’s 2020 exhibition.[33] They capture the era’s ethos – the Hollywoodisation of artistic expression and a lifestyle approached as a form of escapism, caught between underlying crises and superficial spectacle during the interwar years. In contrast, the art of the Zemlja group and the photography of Tošo Dabac document the social realities of the time, depicting poverty, rural life and urban periphery, and the lives of those on the margins of society.
The painting Head (MG-3136), likely from the early 20th century, shows clear avant-garde influences.[34] The striking composition, a head depicted in three-quarter profile up to the neck, beneath a tilted hat that casts a dramatic, almost expressionistic shadow over the mask-like face, particularly the eyes, serves as a highly suggestive expressive device. The impact is heightened by the formal and chromatic simplification of the palette, against which the red scarf at the neck, the bright whites of the man’s eyes locked on the observer, and the limited light behind him stand out in sharp contrast, placing the figure in intense backlight.
The Portrait of Andrija Milčinović (1877–1937) (MG-2317), likely painted around the mid-20th century, is notable for its reductive style and chromatic expressionism, with bold, sweeping brushstrokes and an intense colour palette. It is highlighted here as a meaningful homage to our profession, depicting one of the first curators of the Zagreb Museum of Arts and Crafts. Milčinović, a Croatian writer and art critic, is also remembered for his 1902 psychological novella Nejačići (The Weaklings), which evocatively traces the fate and tragedy of the Croatian intellectual – a figure doomed to defeat despite his talents.[35]
Landscape, Veduta and the Interior
The history of landscape painting traces the genre’s gradual emancipation: from serving as a mere backdrop for historical or religious scenes, or as a setting for portraits, to becoming an independent form in its own right. At times, small, barely perceptible staffage figures were still included as a ‘pretext’ for the scene (as often seen in Renaissance painting), or to convey subtle shifts in meaning, as in Symbolist works at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. In the latter case, tiny human figures (often archetypal shepherds with their flocks) appear within vast natural expanses, symbolising both the interconnectedness of human beings and the overpowering force of nature.[36]
Often considered within the landscape genre is the urban variant, or veduta, with topographical vedute representing a distinct subcategory. Topographical vedute were particularly common in the first half of the 19th century, and are characterised by precise representation, strong linearity, and frequent use of watercolour. Their primary purpose was historical and documentary, with artistic value considered secondary. The NMMU Collection includes several such unattributed topographical vedute, comparable, for instance, to the similar collection of watercolours by the Austrian painter Franz Jaschke (1775–1842). Trained in Vienna, Jaschke travelled through Croatia as a painter in the service of Archduke Ludwig Joseph Anton of Habsburg and Lorraine (1784–1864) and Archduke Rainer Joseph of Habsburg and Lorraine (1783–1853) during 1807–08 and 1810, producing drawings and watercolours of the local landscapes and inhabitants. He later returned to Rijeka in the 1830s. In 1948, the National Museum of Modern Art acquired from a private owner thirty-seven of Jaschke’s watercolours, created between 1807 and 1814, depicting Croatian towns, fortresses, and landscapes.[37] This group of works includes the 19th-century watercolour San Miniato près de Florence (MG-1857), which on the reverse, alongside the subject, bears a tentative date marked 1863 (?). Also included, seemingly forming a pair, are the 19th-century paintings Architectural Group (MG-1850) and Street View with Figures (MG-1851).[38] All of these paintings were executed in a realistic style, using transparent watercolour washes and with a strong linear emphasis, particularly in the last two vedute. An inscription on the reverse of Street View with Figures indicates that the work depicts a view of Rio de Janeiro, reflecting the 19th-century fascination with the exotic. In this case, the scene represents the New World, including Black figures. Beneath the label, a faint signature reading Ender suggests a possible attribution. It is highly likely that the works are by Thomas Ender (1793–1875), an exceptionally popular Austrian landscape and watercolour painter of the period, and the twin brother of the history painter Johann Nepomuk Ender (1793–1854). Both were educated at the Academy in Vienna. Thomas Ender began his training in historical painting under Hubert Maurer (1738–1818) but soon turned to landscape painting, studying with Laurenz Jansche (Sloven., Lovro Janša) (1749–1812) and Joseph Möser (1780–1845). He won the Academy’s First Prize for Landscape Drawing and, after several study trips, in 1817 received the Grand Painting Prize for a canvas purchased by Prince Klemens von Metternich (1773–1859), head of the Austrian delegation at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), where the great powers divided spheres of influence in post-Napoleonic Europe. With Metternich as his patron, Ender joined the Austrian Expedition to Brazil, producing over 700 drawings and watercolours.[39] The watercolours in the National Museum of Modern Art clearly belong to this series, and when compared with Ender’s renowned View of Rio de Janeiro, the similarities in the depiction of vegetation, especially palm fronds, architecture, and figures are unmistakable. The works exhibit the same refined style, meticulous attention to detail, and topographical accuracy. The Austrian scientific expedition to Brazil took place between 1817 and 1835; as Ender had returned to Rome by 1820, these works can be roughly dated to 1817–1820.
Also of note is a striking Canaletto-style veduta of Venice by an unknown artist, dating from the 19th century (MG-2777). Alongside the note recording its donation to the museum, the Inventory Book includes a possible attribution to Canaletto (?).[40] These works were created in the tradition of Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto (1697–1768), the foremost painter of 18th-century Venice, Rome, and London cityscapes. His vedute, often populated with staffage figures in contemporary dress, are distinguished by meticulously rendered perspective, precise and detailed architectural depiction, and a luminous, warm colour palette. Canaletto’s artistic legacy had a lasting impact on this genre in later periods, particularly in Venice. The term “Canaletto-style veduta” denotes reinterpretations of this tradition, maintaining the distinctive treatment of subjects and the atmospheric qualities of his work. The veduta of Venice in the NMMU Collection clearly belongs to this artistic tradition.
Mountain Landscape, a 19th-century work by an unknown artist of the Vienna School (MG-51), as recorded in the Inventory Book and on the reverse of the painting,[41] exemplifies the Romantic landscape tradition, celebrating an idealised vision of nature as an escape from the banality of the material world. Such works often carry a sentimental note, which is evident in this NMMU painting. The mountain landscape was a favoured subject in Austrian and German depictions of the Alps, within the Central European cultural sphere to which Croatia traditionally belonged.
Landscape (MG-70), by contrast, reflects a different 19th-century sensibility: a realistic approach influenced by classicism, likely created before the third quarter of the century. Both the Inventory Book and the reverse of the painting identify it as belonging to the German school.[42] The style is reminiscent of the Osijek painter Adolf Waldinger (1843–1904), renowned for his precise, detailed, almost naturalistic and calligraphic depictions of nature, especially the forests of Slavonia. Stylistically, these works align with the Biedermeier landscape tradition, which combines realism, classicism, and, to a degree, Romanticism.
The collection also includes a charming 19th-century Biedermeier watercolour by an unknown artist, Interior of a Biedermeier Room (MG-1854).[43] Its painstaking attention to detail, rendered with almost meditative care, creates a blend of classicism and realism/naturalism typical of the Biedermeier style. The painting emphasises the cosy intimacy of the bourgeois home, presenting a simple, orderly interior as a warm and inviting refuge. In the far lower-left corner, a small female figure is depicted from behind, seated at a desk, engaged in work. This inclusion highlights the sociological dimension of the scene: portraying intellectual activity – reading, writing, drawing, and painting, as a meaningful part of everyday life for the emancipated bourgeoisie.
A more modern form of realism from the final quarter of the 19th century is evident in Landscape (MG-52), which depicts a vast, skilfully rendered scene at dusk, populated with small staffage figures. This work should not be read as a Symbolist crepuscular landscape; its palpable realism is a direct continuation of the tradition of the international school of painting in Italy. This refers to an informal, widespread group of painters from across Europe (and the United States) who, particularly from the late 18th century through the 19th century, travelled to Italy on study trips. There, they copied Old Masters, studied classical heritage, especially antiquity and the Renaissance, and spontaneously sketched landscapes in small studies under southern light, usually during the summer at the sun’s zenith, and occasionally at dusk. In the lower-left corner is a faint, hard-to-read signature, possibly R. HOG or R. H 09, though no painter by this name has been identified. Slightly more sentimental in its treatment is Landscape with Waterfall (MG-3110), featuring a monogram and the date 1917 in the lower-right corner, and a stamp of the Museum of Arts and Crafts on the reverse marked Zagreb – 50.[44] Despite its later date, the work belongs to the same artistic style, within the context of the “long nineteenth century,” a term describing the persistence of 19th-century artistic styles, ways of thinking, and approaches to subject matter well into the early decades of the 20th century, widespread across Europe and continuing alongside the rise of historical avant-gardes and subsequent artistic movements. In this context, the veduta Prague (MG-3108), dated to the first quarter of the 20th century,[45] should be considered alongside the architectural group as a subcategory of veduta, titled Group of Old Houses from the early 20th century (MG-1856). This interpretation is further supported by the inscriptions on the reverse, showing faint signatures in the lower-right and lower-left corners, a legible date of 1917. VIII, and a note on the subject: Northern town. The Inventory Book notes that the work entered the collection of the then Modern Gallery from the Museum of Arts and Crafts, where it had held inventory number 406, reflecting the organic formation of museum collections over time, a process observable across Europe and beyond. The depiction of Prague is characterised by its more robust style, reflecting the spirit of the “return to classicism/order of the 1920s.” A similar approach is evident in Contemporary Winter Landscape (MG-3111), likely from the second quarter of the 20th century. The subject invites comparison with the Sava landscapes featuring willows by Ferdo Kovačević (1870–1927), though our example is painted with a more “robust” technique. A faint handwritten signature appears in the lower-right corner, while the reverse bears a label from the Šneler framing workshop on Frankopanska Street in Zagreb and the stamp of the Museum of Arts and Crafts.[46] Another notable example is the painting documented under the title Landscape with Lake, executed in watercolour with a pastel-like effect (a common practice in the period) and dated to the early 20th century (MG-3076).[47] Upon examining the painting, we observed a signature in the lower-right corner with the initials F. C. S., and on the reverse, labels recording the Viennese framer (Rudolf Bauer, Wien), along with the title Herbst (Autumn) and the attribution to Gräfin Czernin Schönbũrg. Investigation revealed that the artist was Franziska Czernin (Schönburg-Hartenstein) (1857–1926), daughter of Count Czernin von und zu Chudenitz (1851–1925). The work belongs to the tradition of aristocratic women painters during the “long 19th century,” when painting was an essential part of noblewomen’s education. Though often pursued as a pastime, some women from this milieu demonstrated genuine talent, helping to pave the way for the emancipation of women in art and challenging established cultural and social conventions.
With an illegible signature in the lower-right corner, Street (MG-6370) bears an inscription on the reverse, on the central stretcher bar, reading Schnaf (?). The work is a refined veduta in the mid-20th-century style of colouristic intimism, evident in its reductive, impasto brushwork forming geometric, flat shapes, and in the modern framing of a winter street scene with partial views of anonymous urban façades and a section of a bare tree-lined avenue. Shading is entirely omitted, with depth conveyed through the interplay of warm and cool tones and the relative scale of the forms. The painting entered the Museum’s collection through the bequest of Mrs Melita J. Pešelj from Washington, United States.[48]
Animal Painting
The representation of animals in visual art dates back to its earliest beginnings: from prehistoric paintings with a magical function, through ancient mythologies that created chimeras, minotaurs, and centaurs, to classical portrayals of the animal world in Western art, whether within portraits, genre scenes, historical or landscape compositions, or as independent subjects in modern painting. The collection of unattributed and undated works in the holdings of the National Museum of Modern Art, also includes several accomplished depictions of animals.[49] The examples we have examined are predominantly in the Central European artistic traditions of the Munich and Vienna schools.[50]
This is particularly apparent in the painting Dog (MG-3033) by an unknown artist, which, based on its style, we date to the last quarter of the 19th century. It is a highly accomplished large-scale animal portrait set within a mountain landscape. The animal is rendered with striking realism, its posture and size conveying a commanding presence, further emphasised by the grandeur of the surrounding scenery. By depicting the body in profile while turning the head and directing its gaze towards the observer, the artist establishes a sense of interaction between the animal and the audience. The painting was entered into the Inventory of the National Museum of Modern Art via the KOMZA Book (listed as number 5), based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973.[51]
The exotic scene Tropical Landscape (MG-3047), likely dating to the mid-19th century, is rendered in a masterful naturalistic style, with meticulous detailing of exotic plant and animal species in emerald, blue, and brown tones, highlighted by occasional touches of red. It was also formerly listed in the KOMZA Book (entry no. 96).[52]
This group of works features an especially large number of horse paintings. Horses appear within genre scenes, as seen in In the Smithy (MG-3038) and In Front of the Horse Stable (MG-3061). In the Smithy suggests either an earlier date or a 19th-century emulation of 18th-century genre painting. The composition presents elongated figures in dark tones, with the central focus on a white horse being shod and the vivid red of the man’s clothing as he lifts its leg. A seated dog is also depicted in the lower left corner, its gaze meeting that of the observer. In the upper left half of the painting, black outlines reveal an obviously unfinished depiction of another horse standing, held by a figure at the reins. A metal plaque affixed to the central lower bar at the front of the frame bears the work’s title in Croatian and a tentative attribution to E. Ch. Müller, an otherwise unknown artist. Stylistically, In Front of the Horse Stable is dated to the latter half of the 19th century. The scene portrays a group of men in flamboyant dress, wearing tall top hats, accompanied by a horse in the landscape before the stable, either preparing for or returning from a ride. Of particular interest is the central lower bar at the front of the gilded frame, which bears the word HAP HAZARD in relief. Originally, in English, it was synonymous with the adjective “accidental,” but it later came to denote a condition in which things are scattered without apparent order or logic. Both paintings were transferred to the inventory of the National Museum of Modern Art from the KOMZA register, where In the Smithy was listed as number 29 and In Front of the Horse Stable as number 190.[53]
Horse in Front of the Castle (MG-3075) was probably painted in the last quarter of the 19th century. This exquisite watercolour, rendered in a realistic style with washes of azure, shows at its centre a standing horse with a lively gaze directed towards the observer. In the left half of the composition, a black-and-white puppy is depicted in front of an architectural fragment of the castle façade, with hints of garden vegetation.[54] A label on the reverse indicates that the painting was mounted in Vienna (C. Bühlmayer / K. k. Hof-Vergolder / I. Michaeler Durchhaus, Mariahilfer Strasse 45, Wien).[55] An extensive German inscription on the back reveals that the horse, likely named Ali, was purchased in 1845 in Ruma by Hugo II, Count von und zu Eltz (1817–1848), on the Pejačević family estate in Syrmia. After 1848, the painting came into the possession of Ladislav the Younger, Count Pejačević (1828–1916), who received it as a gesture of courtesy from a count in Vukovar. The dog depicted, possibly named Pinč (?), belonged to Sophie, Countess von Schönborn-Wiesentheid, née Countess zu Eltz (1814–1902), who most likely presented it to Ludvina, Countess Eltz, née Pejačević (1826–1889). The horse Ali is shown standing before an exterior terrace belonging to Dr. (illegible) in Vukovar. The painting was given as a gift from Count Pejačević to Countess Pejačević, as recorded in Vukovar in 1906.[56] According to Silvija Lučevnjak, director of the Našice Local History Museum, housed in the Pejačević family castle and a specialist in Slavonian noble history, “these are relatives, the Eltz family of Vukovar and the Pejačevićs of the Ruma–Retfala branch, and this is their famed stud farm in Ruma.”[57] Furthermore, with Ms Lučevnjak’s assistance, we were able to possibly identify the painter as Ladislav, Count Pejačević, an amateur artist whose work has been discussed in detail by Jasminka Najcer Sabljak and Đorđe Bošković.[58]
Two Horses (MG-3124), executed in an early 20th-century realist style, is characterised by free, visible brushstrokes and complementary tonal shading. The painting depicts two brown draft horses standing parallel in a verdant rural setting. It was previously recorded in the KOMZA register under inventory number 1491.[59] An illegible signature appears in the lower left corner, while the reverse of the canvas shows an unfinished oil sketch of a grazing horse. Landscape (MG-3149), from the same period, presents a somewhat more “rigid” realist view of rural life, featuring a man and a woman, a donkey, grazing cows, and oxen in harness within a village setting. The painting was also transferred to the NMMU from the KOMZA register in 1973 (inventory number 1794).[60] Interestingly, visible along the left edge of the composition are early depictions of power lines carrying electricity.
Depictions of chickens and geese were a common feature in Baroque painting as well as in 19th-century genre and landscape traditions. Poultry in the Courtyard (MG-1855), initially thought to have been painted in the early 20th century, confirmed this dating when a close examination revealed an almost illegible pencil signature in the lower left corner (Bares [?]), precisely dated August 1917, supporting the concept of a “long nineteenth century.” The watercolour on paper is executed in a solid realist style, with a central rooster surrounded by hens and white geese, set within the setting of a rural courtyard. Poultry subjects are particularly prominent in the work of Nikola Mašić (1852–1902), with European parallels seen, for example, in the paintings of the Catalan artist Marià Fortuny y Carbó (1838–1874),[61] whose style is closely aligned with Mašić’s. In the National Museum of Modern Art’s Inventory Book, this painting is listed under the heading Entered into the Collection (provenance): MUO (Museum of Arts and Crafts), inventory number 398.[62]
Other Themes
Other subjects represented in this group of unattributed and undated paintings include religious works, mythological scenes, still lifes, nudes, historical paintings, and genre scenes. Still Life (MG-3151), tentatively dated to the 18th century, formally belongs to the still-life genre. Conceptually, however, it serves as a memento mori allegory, reminding us of the fleeting nature of earthly life and the impermanence of material and worldly possessions. A closer iconographic analysis reveals that the allegory is Christian in nature, and the painting is accordingly classified among religious, sacred works. In fact, the two skulls clearly refer to the first humans, Adam and Eve, while the bitten apple and serpent warn that their death and decay are the consequences of sin. On the reverse of the canvas are labels inscribed F. E. Hinz / (monogram) 30. The work was previously recorded in the KOMZA register under inventory number 1796 and was entered into the inventory of the then Modern Gallery based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973.[63]
The sacred painting Christ on the Cross (MG-2117), likely dating to the 18th century, is similarly executed in a solid, accomplished style. As in the previously analysed work, a dark palette predominates, with dramatic contrasts highlighting the central motif in a Baroque theatrical manner: the crucified Christ, a skull at the foot of the cross, and the inscription INRI above.[64] The skull, almost invariably placed at the foot of the cross, carries a dual symbolic significance. The first allusion is to the site of Christ’s Passion, the hill outside Jerusalem where, according to the Bible, he was crucified: Golgotha, or Calvary in Latin. The name Golgotha derives from the Aramaic gulgulta, meaning “skull,” as the rocky contours of the hill may have resembled a skull; it was also an execution site in antiquity. The second allusion is to Adam’s skull, since Christ’s crucifixion symbolises the redemption of humanity from Adam’s original sin, inherited by all mankind.
During the preparatory review of materials for this exhibition, museum adviser Dajana Vlaisavljević suggested that Still Life with Corn (MG-2782), tentatively dated to the last quarter of the 19th century, may be the work of Izidor Kršnjavi (1845–1927). In style, technique, and subject matter, the painting closely resembles two of Kršnjavi’s 1874 still lifes, composed as hanging garlands, now known only from glass negatives taken by an unknown photographer and held in a private collection.[65] This attribution is further supported by the painted background of upright wooden boards, identical to those in Kršnjavi’s compositions. The correspondence of all these details makes the attribution of the painting to Kršnjavi quite plausible. It features a symmetrical composition in dark tones, with lighter brown and beige hues accentuating the central motif, executed in a solid style of academic realism characteristic of the last quarter of the 19th century, devoid of allegorical meaning. The composition follows the conventions of academic still life, commonly seen in depictions of hanging game, often hunting trophies, such as Miroslav Kraljević’s (1885–1913) Wild Ducks (1910), also in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, or Nikola Mašić’s (1852–1902) Still Life – Wild Ducks, s. a. The painting was previously recorded in the storage register under number MGP-800 and was formally transferred to the ownership of the then Modern Gallery on 20 February 1970 by Mrs Elza Rukavina under Gift Agreement No. 91/2-1970.[66]
Among the examined artworks, a notable number belong to the tradition of genre painting, portraying scenes from the daily lives of the nobility, the bourgeoisie, and ordinary people. Although present throughout the history of painting, genre subjects gained particular prominence in Dutch Baroque art, from where the fashion spread across Europe, especially during the 19th century. Like landscape painting, they played a key role in the democratisation of art, affirming so-called minor subjects as pictorial themes of equal standing with the grand, representative painting. The spread of this tradition across Europe is exemplified by the Bamboccianti, a group of painters active in Rome from around 1625 until the late 17th century. They were painters of pastoral and genre scenes, mainly Dutch and Flemish, who introduced into Italy the established Netherlandish tradition of rural imagery dating back to the 16th century. They generally produced small-scale works depicting the daily lives of Rome’s lower classes and the peasantry of its surrounding countryside, with familiar motifs such as food and drink vendors, farm workers, milkmaids, soldiers at leisure, beggars, and the like. Though rooted in humble subject matter, these paintings enjoyed wide popularity and fetched solid prices. Their enduring appeal is evident in the notable number of unattributed and undated genre scenes preserved in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art.
The first painting that, despite its lofty title, fits into this category is Historical Scene (MG-3034), probably dating from the 18th century based on its style. It was entered into the National Museum of Modern Art inventory based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, transferred from the KOMZA Register, where it had been listed as entry number 6.[67] A notable work from the same period, Young Couple with Two Dogs (MG-3035), was added to the NMMU Inventory Book based on the same decision.[68] This conclusion is supported by the figures’ costumes, the 18th-century painting technique, and the Rococo taste for ornamentation, evident in the “dancing” brushwork that imparts vitality and movement. The small oil-on-tin painting Woman Reading (MG-3037), set in a substantial gilded frame with richly embossed decoration, is also assignable to the 18th century. On the reverse is a silver medallion inscribed Sabor NRH / BR. 17 88, suggesting the work was once housed in the premises of the Parliament of the People’s Republic of Croatia. It was also entered into the inventory of the National Museum of Modern Art based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, having been transferred from the KOMZA Register, where it was listed as entry number 27.[69] Woman in the Kitchen (MG-3042) is also attributed to the 18th century.[70] It was carefully restored by conservator-restorer Kali Radojlović at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, who prepared a detailed report documenting the entire process.[71] The painting shows a standing female figure in profile within a dimly lit kitchen and belongs to the tradition of domestic interiors, particularly scenes centred on the kitchen (gatherings around the hearth). European painting has long favoured intimate domestic scenes, particularly during the Baroque period and continuing into the 19th century. Examples include the Italian brothers Domenico and Gerolamo Induno (1815–1878; 1825–1890), the Macchiaioli and Resina painters such as Silvestro Lega (1826–1895), Odoardo Borrani (1833–1905), and Adriano Cecioni (1836–1886), as well as their influence on Domenico Pesenti (1843–1918) and Giovanni Muzzioli (1854–1894), extending to Croatian painter Vinko (Vicko) Marija Draganja (1856–1926). In Woman in the Kitchen, selected details function as miniature still lifes within the scene.
Family Scene around the Cradle (MG-3053), reflecting the Biedermeier focus on family life, is dated to the first half of the 19th century. It was entered into the National Museum of Modern Art Inventory Book based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, transferred from the KOMZA Register, where it had been listed as entry number 134.[72] Similarly, Tavern Scene (MG-3077) had previously appeared in the KOMZA Register as entry number 332.[73] The latter painting depicts a scene from everyday life in the Dutch and Flemish tradition, as brought to Italy by the Bamboccianti. With a Breughelian touch in both atmosphere and composition, its lively tavern scene featuring figures from the lower classes is dated to the mid-19th century.
Still Life (Flowers) (MG-2784) probably dates from the early 20th century. Previously recorded in the Storage Book as MGP-803, it was donated to the National Museum of Modern Art by Mrs Elza Rukavina under a gift agreement.[74] It is characteristic of the early 20th-century in its atmosphere, with a painting style that shows a slightly rigid modelling and a sentimental portrayal of a colourful bouquet, with predominantly red, pale pink and white flowers, spilled from a basket and spread out before the observer.
Among the works examined, two depictions of women in daily life stand out for their high artistic quality and relatively recent date. The first, which we date to the second quarter of the 20th century based on style, shows an elderly woman in black with a headscarf, seated full-length in three-quarter profile within a peasant kitchen. Signed in the lower left corner with the initial A. (MG-3133), it is a modern take on the tradition of depicting women at domestic tasks, as discussed earlier. The painting is marked by a confident, reductive, sketch-like approach and a masterful detail of casually draped white-and-red striped fabric in the background, adding freshness to the scene. The oil technique here produces a deliberately light, almost watercolour-like effect, demonstrating the painter’s skill. The work was entered into the National Museum of Modern Art Inventory Book based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, having been transferred from the KOMZA Register as entry number 1649.[75] The second work, Girl with a Bird (1955, MG-6365), executed on paper in a wash ink technique, shows a delicate, standing young girl holding a bird. Its stylised, elongated forms and translucent washes create an airy sense of refined elegance and lyrical purity. On the reverse is a label reading: Custom frames by Abbott Picture Framers (…) Wisconsin Ave. N.W., Georgetown, Washington D.C. The lower left corner on the front bears the signature Fenaris Paris 55. These markings indicate that the work was painted in Paris in 1955 and later framed in the United States. The name Fenaris does not give us much to go on, as the artist remains unidentified, about whom no information appears to exist. Museum records confirm that the painting entered the collection as part of the estate of Mrs Melita Pešelj of Washington.[76]
Conclusion
The unattributed and undated works in the holdings of the National Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb form a diverse group, created between the 18th century and the first half of the 20th century. Thematically, they have been divided into four main categories: portraiture, landscapes, vedute, and interiors, animal paintings, and a group of other subjects, including sacred painting, still life, the nude, and mythological, genre, and historical scenes. The corpus also includes six exotic examples of Japanese woodcuts. Taken together, the collection provides a representative cross-section of bourgeois culture in Zagreb during the 19th century and early 20th century, encompassing Biedermeier, Romantic, and Realist works, as well as early modern paintings with a marked tendency towards simplified forms. Examining the collection also offers a cultural and socio-anthropological view of bourgeois life in Zagreb and Europe during the period, revealed through themes, styles, depicted settings, and the stories behind the paintings. For example, the initially unattributed and undated watercolours Architectural Group (MG-1850) and Street View with Figures (MG-1851) take the observer on a historical journey, touching on the Austrian Expedition to Brazil, Prince Metternich, the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), and the geostrategic realignments of the great powers, as well as the everyday lives and relationships of Croatian noble families, including their affection for animals, illustrated in the backstory of Horse in Front of the Castle (MG-3075). The collection also illuminates the history and gradual emancipation of women painters, particularly noblewomen, as exemplified by Autumn (Landscape with Lake) (MG-3076).
The painting materials have been meticulously examined by the team, producing detailed notes and extensive photographic documentation. A long-term project for the complex restoration of these neglected works has been ongoing for four years and will continue beyond the exhibition opening. These challenging restorations require close collaboration between the NMMU conservation team and a range of external specialists. The project also includes the preparation and publication of restoration reports. Selected reports are presented at the exhibition opening, including those by NMMU restorators-conservators Marija Kalmeta and Sonja Pavin, and links to reports by Iva Galijan and Kali Radojlović[77] from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Further reports will continue to be published on the exhibition website, as this project is regarded as a work in progress.
The examined material comprises a substantial number of works of solid quality. In the course of our study, we were able to uncover new documentary information, including precise dates and possible attributions, for nearly a third of the 58 exhibited works. Each work has been assigned at least an estimated date, and their stylistic and iconographic analyses, along with provenance research based on the National Museum of Modern Art’s records, have been presented. Altogether, this provides a strong foundation for further research into this intriguing and challenging subject.
Footnotes
[1] Attributions often proved difficult, hindered by illegible signatures, even when present, or by little-known artists about whom no biographical information can be found, even in exhaustive art lexicons such as De Gruyter’s Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon.
[2] Commission for the Collection and Protection of Cultural Monuments and Antiquities
[3] Museum documentation of the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb (hereafter NMMU), Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280; NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520.
[4] The Storage Book lists works that are not the property of the museum but have been entrusted to it for safekeeping, scholarly study, presentation, and management.
[5] The collaboration has also resulted in the preparation of professional expert reports, for example:
Kali Radojlović, Conservation-Restoration Treatments of the Painting “Woman in the Kitchen” from the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb (Master’s Thesis). Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (2024), pp. 1–122. Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:215:555042; Iva Galijan, Conservation- Restoration Treatments of the Easel Painting “Woman in a Blue Dress”, by an Unknown Artist, from the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb (Master’s Thesis). Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (2024). Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:215:768649
[6] Dajana Vlaisavljević, Slikarski portreti 19. stoljeća iz fundusa Moderne galerije, exhibition catalogue, Zagreb: Modern Gallery, 1997, 3.
[7] Southwest Germany
[8] This refers to a cycle of Biedermeier songs, Liederlust, published in the satirical Munich periodical Fliegende Blätter in 1850.
[9] The painting was restored using a traditional wax technique under the supervision of Petra Kursar MA, senior conservator-restorer and head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration at NMMU.
[10] NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: Vjekoslav Karas, Portrait of Josipa Dadić, 1852–1856, MG-74.
[11] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 6.
[12] Ibid, 187.
[13] Iva Galijan, Conservation-Restoration Treatments of the Easel Painting “Woman in a Blue Dress”, by an Unknown Artist, from the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb (Master’s Thesis). Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (2024). Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:215:768649
[14] Ibid, 12.
[15] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 6; NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: N.N. / Ivan Zasche (?), Portrait of Josip Juraj Strossmayer, mid-19th century, MG-54
[16] NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: Ivan Zasche, Portrait of an Old Man, 1857, MG-64; NMMU, NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: Ivan Zasche, Portrait of Julijana Koritić de Mrazovečka, mid-19th century, MG-66
[17] On the back of the painting, the central stretcher bar of the wooden support bears a handwritten inscription: Savski Marof, NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: N. N., Portrait of a Dignitary, fourth quarter of the 19th century, MG-3051
[18] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 6.
[19] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 188.
[20] NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: N. N., Ferdo Rusan, mid-19th century, MG-45; Portrait of a Priest (MG-3068) was added to the NMMU inventory based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973. It had earlier been listed in the KOMZA Register under number 116, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 7.
[21] In the NMMU inventory book, the entry for this painting is recorded as KOMZA 358/47-5.66, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 5.
[22] NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: Vjekoslav Karas, Portrait of Ana Krešić, 1852–1856, MG-77; NMMU Museum Documentation, Catalogue Sheets by Artists – Digital Database Modulor / M++: Vjekoslav Karas, Portrait of Miško Krešić, 1852–1856, MG-78.
[23] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 67, 68.
[24] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 352.
[25] The painting was previously restored using an antiquated wax technique and now requires modern conservation treatment, Petra Kursar, MA, Senior Conservator-Restorer at NMMU, Head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration.
[26] Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb (hereinafter MUO), Museum Documentation, Artist Catalogue Sheets – Digital database: Karlo (Dragutin) Drašković, Count Stjepan Erdödy’s Leap, 1894, MUO-044370; Karlo (Dragutin) Drašković, Count Stjepan Erdödy’s Leap, 1894, MUO-044369
[27] The painting was added to the NMMU inventory based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973. It had earlier been listed in the KOMZA Register under number 240, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1.–520, 8.
[28] Portrait of a Man (MG-57) was restored between 16 March and 12 November 1953, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 6; Portrait of a Maiden (MG-2785) was donated to the National Museum of Modern Art by Ms Elza Rukavina from Zagreb, through Donation Agreement No. 91/2 dated 20 February 1920, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 261.
[29] On the back of the painting, affixed to the stretcher, is a label indicating the workshop mark: J. Lowy / Ecke Weihburggasse. Badberger Strasse nr. 15 / K, K. Hof-Photograph / Wien / K. K. Gartenbaugesellechaft.
[30] The painting was restored during the period from 16 March to 12 November 1953, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 5.
[31] A corresponding note for this catalogue entry is also recorded in the Inventory Book under KOMZA T-47-7, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 67, 111.
[32] I am grateful for the assistance with translating the German-language entries to Prof. Asti Car, granddaughter of the long-serving curator of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb and art historian Anka Simić-Bulat, PhD (1899–1987).; The painting was added to the NMMU inventory based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973. It had earlier been listed in the KOMZA Register under number 342, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 8.
[33] Ivana Rončević Elezović, Dvije slike Otta Antoninija u fundusu Moderne galerije, Zagreb, exhibition catalogue, (ed.) Ivana Rončević Elezović, Zagreb: Modern Gallery, 2020.
[34] The painting was added to the NMMU inventory based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973. It had earlier been listed in the KOMZA Register under number 1664, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 14.
[35] On the reverse of the painting, rendered in the same style, is a modernist still life showing a modest meal on a tin plate, set within a deliberately cropped view of a chair.
[36] For a more detailed exploration of 19th-century landscape painting in the NMMU Collection, see: Dajana Vlaisavljević, Pejzaž 19. stoljeća iz fundusa Moderne galerije, exhibition catalogue, Zagreb: Modern Gallery, 2001.
[37] NMMU Museum Documentation, Zagreb, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 1.–4.
[38] All three works were transferred to the museum Inventory Book from the KOMZA Book. San Miniato près de Florence (MG-1857) bore the mark KOMZA 154/45-352, Architectural Group (MG-1850) KOMZA T4/46-199, and Street View with Figures (MG-1851) was marked only with KOMZA. NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 173.
[39] After returning from Brazil, Thomas Ender travelled with Metternich to Rome, where he remained on a government stipend until 1823. He subsequently worked for Metternich in the Salzkammergut and became a member of the Academy in 1824. In 1826, he undertook a study trip to Paris. Appointed court painter to Archduke John of Austria-Lorraine (1782–1859), he accompanied him on a journey to the Middle East and southern Russia in 1837, visiting Istanbul and Greece. Upon his return, Ender became a professor at the Academy, a position he held until his retirement in 1851. He was awarded the honorary title of Imperial Councillor in 1845 and received the Order of Franz Joseph in 1853. Between 1855 and 1857 he travelled extensively in Italy, and in 1922 a street in Vienna’s Meidling district was named after him and his brother. Ender’s mastery of detailed naturalistic depiction and his skill in rendering light effects secured his place in important artistic portfolios such as Wundermappe der Donau (1841) and Das pittoreske Österreich (c. 1850). His work also had a significant influence on the Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter (1805–1868), renowned for his richly detailed descriptions of nature.
[40] The painting was donated to the National Museum of Modern Art by Elza Rukavina of Zagreb under Gift Agreement No. 91/2 on 20 February 1970, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 261.
[41] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 5.
[42] Ibid, 7.
[43] The Inventory Book for this painting also includes a KOMZA notation, Ibid, 173.
[44] At the very beginning of its activity, the then Modern Gallery operated in the premises of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb. The Inventory Book records the transfer of the work from the KOMZA Book, where it bore the inventory number 1173, based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 12.
[45] The reverse also bears the stamp of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, with the crossed-out number 385/43 replaced by the marking TI6 32. The painting comes from the KOMZA Book, where it bore inventory number 1171, and based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, it was transferred to the Inventory Book of the then Modern Gallery, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 11.
[46] The Museum of Arts and Crafts stamp bears the crossed-out number 38/43, replaced by 79 TI6. The Inventory Book notes that the painting was previously listed in the KOMZA Book under number 1173 and entered the NMMU collection based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 12.
[47] According to the Inventory Book, the painting was previously listed in the KOMZA Book under number 326 and entered the NMMU collection based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-23, dated 23 April 1973, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 12.
[48] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 336.
[49] For more on animal painting, see: Dajana Vlaisavljević, Sve naše životinje, exhibition catalogue, (ed.) Lada Bošnjak Velagić, Zagreb: Modern Gallery, 2017.
[50] See, for example: Hans-Peter Bühler, Anton Braith. Christian Mali. Tier maler der Münchner Schule, Mainz am Rhein: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1981.
[51] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 4.
[52] It was also entered into the inventory of the then Modern Gallery based on the Gallery Board Decision no. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973, Ibid, 5.
[53] They were entered into the inventory of the National Museum of Modern Art based on the Gallery Board Decision no. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973, Ibid, 4, 7.
[54] The painting was also transferred to the NMMU from the KOMZA register (inventory number 311) based on the Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973, Ibid, 8.
[55] The framing workshop C. Bühlmayer in Vienna still exists today and has a tradition dating back to 1833.
[56] I am grateful for the assistance with translating the German-language entries to Prof. Asti Car, granddaughter of the long-serving curator of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb and art historian Anka Simić-Bulat, PhD (1899–1987). I would also like to thank Prof. Silvija Lučevnjak for her help in providing accurate historical and documentary information regarding the noble families and relationships mentioned in the records.
[57] Email correspondence from Silvija Lučevnjak to Ivana Rončević Elezović, dated 29 August 2025; I am also grateful to Prof. Lučevnjak for her assistance in clarifying the details recorded on the back of Horse in Front of the Castle (MG-3075).
[58] “Ladislav, Count Pejačević, was the last male member of the Ruma–Retfala branch of his family. He resided in Retfala near Osijek and Hadersdorf near Vienna, while also managing the Ruma estate, which he significantly developed economically at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Preserved memoirs recount Count Ladislav’s account of the tragic death of his brother-in-law, Hugo, Count Eltz, as well as the uprisings in Syrmia and Slavonia in 1848. His recollections offer valuable insight into the lifestyle of the region’s nobility in the mid-19th century. His modest yet notable body of drawings is documented, alongside his relationship with the Austrian artist Franz Alt, some of whose works were created on the estates of the Pejačević and Eltz families.”, Jasminka Najcer Sabljak i Đorđe Bošković. "Likovna i rukopisna ostavština Ladislava grofa Pejačevića iz Retfale i Rume", in: Scrinia Slavonica, vol. 18, no. 1, 2018, 129-174, 129. https://hrcak.srce.hr/211089 Accessed 4 September 2025; See also: Najcer Sabljak, Jasminka i Silvija Lučevnjak. "Karlo i Ludvina Eltz — nositelji obnove Burga Eltz u 19. stoljeću." Peristil, vol. 60, no. 1, 2017, 61-76. https://doi.org/10.17685/Peristil.60.5. Accessed 4 September 2025.
[59] Entered into the NMMU Inventory Book based on the Gallery Board Decision Np. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 13.
[60] Gallery Board Decision No. 86/1-73, dated 23 April 1973, Ibid, 15.
[61] Also known as Mariano Fortuny y Marsal.
[62] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 173.
[63] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 16.
[64] Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum – Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
[65] See: Dajana Vlaisavljević, “Slikarstvo Ise Kršnjavoga,” in: Slikar Iso Kršnjavi. Čovjek svoga vremena, exhibition catalogue, (ed.) Margareta Legiša, Zagreb: Izidor Kršnjavi Exhibition Salon – School of Applied Arts and Design, 1993, 15–19, 17; Iso Kršnjavi, veliki utemeljitelj. Ministar europskog duha, exhibition catalogue, (ed.) Ana Filep, Zagreb: Croatian History Museum, 2012, 74, 75.
[66] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Modern Gallery “Storage,” 1–200, 82; NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 260.
[67] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 4.
[68] In the KOMZA Register, the painting was previously listed under entry number 26, NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 4.
[69] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 4.
[70] Kali Radojlović, Conservation-Restoration Treatments of the Painting “Woman in the Kitchen” from the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb (Master’s Thesis). Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts (2024), 1–122, 10–12. Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:215:555042
[71] Ibid, 1–122.
[72] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 6.
[73] Ibid, 8.
[74] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Modern Gallery “Storage,” 1–200, 82; NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book I (from MG-1 to MG-2999), 1–280, 261.
[75] NMMU Museum Documentation, Inventory Book, Book II (from MG-3000 to MG-6937), 1973, 1–520, 14.
[76] Isto, 335.
[77] In the meantime, conservator-restorer Marija Kalmeta has transferred from the NMMU to the Croatian Conservation Institute in Zagreb.