Thursday, March 13, 2014

103. Galerija Umjetnina Split

Setting out to explore Croatian art, my first stop here in Split is the Gallery of Fine Art - founded in 1931, the Gallery gives a good overview of Croatian artistic development starting from the 14th century through to present day ...  


The gallery collection starts back in 1908 when the first Dalmatian art exhibition was held - the first to bring modern art to the city. Local artists, writers, musicians and architects at that time were training in other parts of Europe, bringing back exciting new trends. 

The Dalmatian governor, Nicholas Nardelli, bought several pieces from the show to form the basis of a new art gallery, and over the next 20 years the collection grew and the art gallery idea was promoted. Approval was granted by the city in 1928, and the first exhibit opened to the public in 1931. 

Over the years since then the collection has grown through acquisitions, donations and bequests - most notably from Ivo Tartaglia, who donated over 300 works of art from his private collection - and today the gallery's permanent collection includes more than 3,500 works of art dating from the 14th century up to the present day. This collection provides an overview of all the major art movements and trends in the local area, and include works by Croatian artists and artists from the former Yugoslavia and the Czech Republic, all of whom have a connection to Split.

The Gallery has had various homes over the years, and its current home - the old hospital complex whose history dates back to 1792 - was granted by the Split Council in 2001. Following the refurbishment of the site, a fully modern exhibition space has been created, appropriate for the gallery's growing collection.

Inner courtyard ...

Knot - Slavomir Drinlovic - iron re-inforcing rods - 1999

... detail ...

Polyptych - Paola Veneziano - tempera on wood - ca 1350

... detail ...

Modonna and Child - Krug Blaza Jurjeva - tempera on wood -  early 15th C 

Saint Jerome - Andrija Alesi - stone - 1480

Madonna and Child - Juraj Culinovic - tempera on wood - mid 15th C

Madonna and Child - Nicola Zafuri - tempera on wood - late 15th C

Madonna and Child, St John the Baptist and an Angel
Gregorio Lazzarini - oil on canvas - late 17th C

The Peljesac-Korcula Channel
Mato Celestin Medovic - oils - 1912

Portrait of Anna Trumbic - Ivan Mestovic - marble - 1906


The Young Fiddler - Vlaho Bukovac - oils - 1885

Nude - Marin Studin - wood - 1925

Portrait of the Wife - Milan Tolic - oils - 1926

Portrait of Danko Andelinovica - Marino Tartaglia - oils 1920

A Boy - Vladimir Becic - oils - 1924

Two Boys - Cata Dujsin-Ribar - oils - 1925

Still Life - Juraj Plancic - oils - 1926 
 
Still Life - Vjekoslav Parac - oils - 1931

Matos - Branko Ruzic - wood - 1975 

Village - Marijan Trepse - oils - 1935

Winter Landscape - Ljudevit Sestic - oils - 1937


Dalmatian Folk Dance - Petar Smajic - wood - 1966


White Woman - Zlatko Prica - oils - 1960



Lonely IV - Branko Ruzic - wood - 1972

September II - Ferdinand Kulmer - acrylics and oils - 1969

Fragment I - Belizar Bahoric - bronze - 1971

Wounded Deer - Dusan Dzamonja - bronze 1957

Composition - Sime Peric - mixed media - 1959



Bather - Frano Krisnic - marble - 1929

Female Nude - Antun Augustincic - bronze - 1924

Flowers - Juraj Plancic - oils - 1929


At Work - Vilko Gecan - oils - 1930

Nude in the Interior - Sava Sumanovic - oils - 1926


Part of the gallery was closed for the setting up of a new exhibition - opening before I leave Split - so I hope to to feature that one too ...

I really enjoyed visiting this fine gallery - it was bright and well curated - easy to view and it gave me a good appreciation of the journey of art here in Croatia ... and best of all I was the only person in the gallery - apart from the guards of course !!!

I did find many of the early 20th century paintings very dark and difficult to photograph so there is a bit I haven't featured ...  



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