Ivan Mestrovic's 130th Birthday

Ivan Meštrović was born in 1883 in the village of Vrpoljie in Croatia. As a child in Dalmatia, Meštrović spent his time herding sheep. He was profoundly affected by hearing Croatian epics, songs, folktales, and parables from the Bible passed down through generations to him by his parents.Ivan Meštrović rose out of poverty through his work as a sculptor, but used his gifts to enrich his native country’s culture through his nationalistic sculpture. Meštrović later realized that his love for the Croatian people must extend to all peoples, and ultimately contemplate God. This lead to a transformation in the subject matter of his artwork from nationalistic to spiritual themes. Ivan Meštrović became well known as a great Croatian sculptor and also a deeply devoted Catholic who expressed his insight into the beauty of the mysteries of Christianity through his art. Meštrović’s father was a stonemason, and at the age of sixteen Ivan Meštrović was apprenticed to a stonecutter in Split named Pavle Bilinic. Benefactors from his village and a mine owner from Vienna later raised funds to send the talented Meštrović to the Vienna Art Academy. This transition was difficult for him because upon arriving in Vienna he knew no German and had had no formal schooling. Meštrović’s father was the only literate person in Otavice, and Meštrović had taught himself to read at the age of twelve. Nevertheless, Meštrović flourished at the Vienna Art Academy. He became good friends with August Rodin and his early sculptures display an Impressionistic style in common with Rodin. Rodin once said that Meštrović was a greater artist than himself. more

 

The Source of Life (1905), fountain in front of Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb