Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you enjoy the gallery, don't miss the nearby Kaštelet Chapel (“Chapel of the Holy
Cross”). Meštrovi
ć
bought this 16th-century fortified palace to display his 28 wood reliefs
ofJesus'life.YoucanseehowMeštrovi
ć
'sstylechangedovertime,ashecarvedtheseover
anearly30-yearspan,completingthelast12whenhewasintheUS.(However,notethathe
didn'tcarvethereliefsinchronologicalorder;theticketofficesellsabookletidentifyingthe
topic and year for each one.) While the earlier pieces are well-composed and powerful, the
later ones seem more hastily done, as Meštrovi
ć
rushed to complete his opus. Work clock-
wise around the room, tracing the life of Christ. Notice that some of the Passion scenes are
out of order (a side-effect of Meštrovi
ć
's nonlinear schedule). The beautiful
pietà
back near
the entrance still shows some of the original surface of the wood, demonstrating the skill
requiredtocreatedepthandemotioninjustafewinchesofmedium.Dominatingthechapel
is an extremely powerful wooden crucifix, with Christ's arms, legs, fingers, and toes bent at
unnatural angles—a typically expressionistic flair Meštrovi
ć
used to exaggerate suffering.
