Sights in Split - Croatia and Slovenia - page 324

um: Carrara marble. The head of a woman glancing pensively out a window is Meštrovi ć 's
second wife, Olga, who was one of his favorite models. Notice the smaller black sculptures
by the two staircases: on the left, representing birth, and on the right, representing
death—Meštrovi ć strove to capture the full range of human experience in his work.
Go to the left to find a maternal pyramid of love called Madonna and Children . While
the woman is clearly garbed in the head scarf of the Virgin Mary, she cradles not one, but
two children; these are Olga and Meštrovi ć 's first two kids.
Nowenterthe Dining Room attheendofthemainfloor.Thisisthemostintimate space
in the villa—the only room that still feels even a little bit lived in—and is decorated with
more sculptures of Meštrovi ć and his family. Entering, go straight ahead to the windows
and do a clockwise loop around the room. First look for the self-portrait bust of Meštrovi ć
and the bust of a woman in a traditional Dalmatian head scarf—this is Meštrovi ć 's mother,
another one of his favorite models. Notice that the two giant caryatids carved from Dalma-
tian stone (embedded with fragments of seashells) are also clad in this traditional garb. On
the wall to the right of the fireplace, you'll see two painted portraits of Meštrovi ć —one as
a young man (painted by his contemporary, Vlaho Bukovac—see here ) , and another shortly
before his death. Other busts in the room depict Meštrovi ć 's children. A painting of the
Last Supper hangs in virtually every Dalmatian dining room, and Meštrovi ć 's is no excep-
tion—he painted this version himself, on wood. He also designed the furniture in this room.
Now climb the stairs. On the landing, look for a large bronze relief panel called My
People's Artist .Theoldmanandtheyoungboyarelinkedbythe gusle ,atraditionalBalkan
stringedinstrument.Here,Meštrovi ć usesthe gusle torepresenttheoraltransmissionofhis-
tory (and specifically, the story of the pivotal Battle of Kosovo in 1389, a date etched into
the minds of all Yugoslavs, particularly Serbs). Much as Meštrovi ć dresses his women in
traditional peasant clothes, he deeply believes in the regeneration of culture and customs
over time. Meštrovi ć 's detailed drawings in this room—including some inspired by Dante's
Divine Comedy —are worth a look.
Ivan Meštrović (1883-1962)
Ivan Meštrovi ć (EE-vahn MESH-troh-veech), who achieved international fame for
histalents asasculptor,wasCroatia'sanswertoRodin.You'llseeMeštrovi ć 'sworks
everywhere, in the streets, squares, and museums of Croatia.