Gallery Mestrovic (Galerija Mestrovic) description and photos - Croatia: Split (Topic)

Galerija Mestrovic description and photos - Croatia: Split. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Galerija Mestrovic.

Photo and description

The gallery was founded by Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic and officially opened in 1951. The gallery is located on the southern slopes of Mount Marjan, above the sea, in the place of the former villa of Mestrovic.

Ivan Mestrovic is the most famous Croatian sculptor of the 20th century. He was originally from Croatia, grew up in Split, and studied in Vienna, where he early discovered his talent. Mestrovic worked in Paris with the great Rodin, then in Rome, and in London he has already gained worldwide fame. After World War II, he lived in the United States, where he died in 1962.

Villa Mestrovic was built in Split between 1931 and 1939. designed by the artist himself in the classical style. The villa was built in stages, starting from the east and ending with the western parts of the house, and was intended for living, works and exhibitions.

Ivan Mestrovich lived here with his family since the summer of 1932. In 1941, Mestrovic left for Zagreb, and the family remained in Split for another year. In 1952, Ivan Mestrovic in his will donated his villa to the Republic of Croatia, which makes it possible to create the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery here. The museum was inaugurated to the public on September 9, 1952. Since 1991, the Gallery has been part of the Ivan Mestrovic Foundation, headquartered in Zagreb.

Initially, the Gallery exhibited 70 sculptures donated by the artist for presentation in the future museum in Split. Later, this collection grew due to new acquisitions, exchange and reproduction in bronze and stone of new sculptures based on the author's plaster models, as well as donations from the artist himself and his family. The gallery's exposition now includes 192 sculptures (made of wood, marble and bronze), 583 drawings, 4 paintings, 291 architectural plans, and two sets of furniture, one of which was made according to Mestrovic's sketches, and is part of the permanent exhibition in the former dining room.

In addition to the formation of the museum fund, the Gallery collects documentation related to the life and work of I. Meshtrovic. Of particular interest are the artist's photographs taken in Vienna. The Gallery also has a family archive found in the house in 1952, where letters from friends and personal family documents are kept.

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Topic: Gallery Mestrovic (Galerija Mestrovic) description and photos - Croatia: Split.