On the Exhibition
Ivana Rončević Elezović, PhD, NMMU Museum Advisor, Project Manager
Back to Unattributed and Undated works
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.
