Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
moved back to Croatia and established an atelier, or workshop, in Zagreb (now a mu-
seum).
Later in life—like Diocletian before him—Meštrovi
ć
returned to Split and built
a huge seaside mansion (today's Meštrovi
ć
Gallery). The years between the World
Wars were Meštrovi
ć
's happiest and most productive. It was during this time that
he sculpted his most internationally famous works, a pair of giant Native American
warriors on horseback in Chicago's Grant Park. But when World War II broke out,
Meštrovi
ć
—anoutspokensupporteroftheidealsofaunitedYugoslavia—wasbriefly
imprisoned by the anti-Yugoslav Ustaše (Croatia's Nazi puppet government). After
his release, Meštrovi
ć
fled to Italy, then to the US, where he lectured at promin-
ent universities such as Notre Dame and Syracuse. (President Eisenhower handed
Meštrovi
ć
his new US passport in 1954.) After the war, the Yugoslav dictator Tito
invited Meštrovi
ć
to return, but the very religious artist refused to cooperate with an
atheist regime. (Meštrovi
ć
was friends with the Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac, who
was imprisoned by Tito.) Meštrovi
ć
died in South Bend, Indiana.
Viewing Meštrovi
ć
's works, his abundant talent is evident. He worked in wood,
plaster, marble, and bronze, and dabbled in painting. Meštrovi
ć
's figures typically
have long, angular fingers, arms, and legs. Whether whimsical or emotional,
Meštrovi
ć
's expressive, elongated faces—often with prominent noses—powerfully
connect with the viewer.
Here are a few themes you'll see recurring in Meštrovi
ć
's works as you tour his
museum:
Religion:
Meštrovi
ć
was a devout Catholic.
Dalmatian traditions:
Meštrovi
ć
feltapoignantnostalgiaforthesimplelifestyles
and customs of his home region of Drniš, and he used his art to elevate them to be
on par with religious and mythological themes. This is most evident in the angular
scarves many of his female subjects wear around their heads.
Yugoslav symbolism:
Meštrovi
ć
was a strong supporter of the first (pre-WWII)
incarnation of Yugoslavia. He created sculptures not only in Croatia, but throughout
Yugoslavia, many of them honoring heroes of Yugoslav tradition.
The Secession:
LivingandstudyinginViennaintheearly20thcentury,Meštrovi
ć
was exposed to the slinky cultural milieu of the likes of Gustav Klimt.
Struggling men, serene women:
While Meštrovi
ć
frequently sculpted both male
and female nudes, they often carry starkly different tones: Meštrovi
ć
's ripped men
tendtobetoilingagainstaninsurmountablechallenge;hissmoothandsupplewomen
