Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This remarkable spot, founded in 1952 as the “Peasant Art Gallery,” is one of the most en-
joyable little museums in Croatia. It features expressionistic paintings by untrained peasant
artists.Ononeeasyfloor,themuseumdisplays80paintingsmademostlybyCroatiansfrom
the 1930s to the 1980s.
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Origins of Naive Art
Starting in the late 19th century, the art world began to broaden its definition of great
art, seeking out worthy art originating outside the esteemed academies and salons of
the day. Their goal: to demonstrate that art was not simply a trained skill, but an in-
born talent. Intellectuals began to embrace an “anti-intellectual” approach to art. In-
terestgrewintheindigenousartofAfrica,Mesoamerica,andPolynesia(Picassowent
through an African mask phase, and Gauguin went to live in Tahiti); composer Béla
Bartok collected traditional folk melodies from the Hungarian countryside; the Art
Brut movement preserved artwork by people deemed “insane” by mainstream soci-
ety; the autodidactic (self-taught) painter Grandma Moses became well-known in the
US and Europe; and art by children gained acclaim.
