Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Meštrovi
ć
sketched his inspiration for this piece (displayed on the wall) while he was im-
prisoned by the Ustaše.
Head down the stairs and make a U-turn left into the
Sacral Room.
Meštrovi
ć
was very
religious, and here you can see some of his many works depicting biblical figures. The gi-
ant, wood-carved
Adam
and
Eve
dominate the room. Also notice the wood-carved relief
panels of
Merry Angels
and
Grieving Angels
. (These are similar to the panels you'll see at
the Kaštelet Chapel down the road.) Smaller statues around the room include four evangel-
ists (Matthew, John, and two Lukes—but no Mark), Moses, a
pietà,
and both bronze and
wooden heads of Christ.
The smaller side-room displays another of the gallery's highlights: the quietly poignant
Roman Pietà.
Meštrovi
ć
follows the classical pyramid form, with Joseph of Arimathea
(top),Mary(left),andMaryMagdalene (right)surroundingthelimpbodyofChrist. Butthe
harmonyisbrokenbythepainfulanglesofthemourningfaces.AlsonoticehowJesus'over-
sized, ruined body drags down those trying to support his dead weight; if he stood up, he'd
be towering over all of them. For Meštrovi
ć
, Christ's suffering was personal: the women
wear those traditional Dalmatian head scarves, the features of Joseph are a self-portrait, and
Mary Magdalene is modeled after Meštrovi
ć
's daughter Marija. This sculpture is plaster;
there's a bronze version at the Vatican and a marble one onthe campus ofThe University of
Notre Dame in the US.
