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In 1900, when Ivan Meštrović left his native Otavice for the first time and moved to Split for an apprenticeship, he was greeted by a city bristling with intense stonemasonry activities, at the forefront of which was the workshop of master Pavle Bilinić. This is where the artistically gifted, but uneducated 17-year-old Ivan Meštrović-Gabrilović received his first lessons. Having made remarkable progress in mastering the stonemasonry technique in a short time, the people of Split dubbed him “the Vlach prodigy” (Vlach, or Vlaj in Croatian, is a term used for rural inhabitants of the Dalmatian Hinterland). The stonemasonry workshop, which was located in Lučac next to the old railway station, brought together excellent local and Italian craftsmen and carried out numerous commissions, including the restoration of the Split Cathedral bell tower (1890 – 1908).
During his apprenticeship in the Bilinić workshop, the young Ivan Meštrović made numerous drawings and several statuettes and received drawing lessons from the stonemason’s wife Regina (née Vecchietti). Having noticed the young man’s sculpting talent, she emphasised the pressing need for him to master the drawing technique: “You have ingegna (ingenuity), but you also need to know how to draw!”.
The skilful hand of the young apprentice created a considerable number of drawings, using templates for decorative elements of altars and tombstones, as well as illustrations from Kačić’s Conversation… which particularly stimulated his youthful imagination. Whether they were technically precise drawings of decorative patterns, or attempts to psychologise the portrayed characters, Meštrović’s early drawings show an extremely confident hand and the self-assurance of the future artist.
Decoration in the Form of a Foliate Frame and Best Wishes to Father on His Name-day
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
26.6 x 35.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-665
A pencil drawing with an ornament in the form of a frame with cartouche and stylised leaves, and the following inscription in the centre:
Ivan Meštrović / To my father / Dear father in Honour / of You All I Have to give / are best wishes on your name day.
The drawing is dated from context, because Meštrović created it for his father Mate on the occasion of his name day, on 21 September 1900. It tells of an affectionate relationship between father and son and is an expression of the son’s loyalty to his parent.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 32-33.
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
27 x 35.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-669a
Drawings with stylised vases and other ornaments were created based on the Skizzenbuch sketchbooks, found in Bilinić’s workshop, which were used as models for gravestone and altar ornaments that the workshop produced.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 34.
Convoluted Decoration
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
27 x 35 cm
inv. no. GMS-672b
Drawings with stylised vases and other ornaments were created based on the Skizzenbuch sketchbooks, found in Bilinić’s workshop, which were used as models for gravestone and altar ornaments that the workshop produced.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 34.
Two Foliate Ornaments
Split, 1900.
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
27 x 35 cm
inv. no. GMS-673a
Drawings with stylised vases and other ornaments were created based on the Skizzenbuch sketchbooks, found in Bilinić’s workshop, which were used as models for gravestone and altar ornaments that the workshop produced.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 34.
Two Bearded Men
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
26.6 x 35.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-674
Portraits of two elderly bearded men. The one in the background is somewhat older and shaded more densely, which creates the illusion of space.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959.
A Youthful Face
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35 x 27 cm
inv. no. GMS-675a
Drawings of the heads of the Madonna (cat. no. 9), a man with a moustache (cat. no. 10), a Bedouin (cat. no. 7) and a young woman (cat.no. 6) were obviously made from a Skizzenbuch, but the artist’s confident strokes reveal great mastery of the metier. The outlines of these profiles, and especially the eyes (downcast in the case of the Madonna, serious in the man wearing a hat, and cruel in the Bedouin), clearly demonstrate this (Prijatelj 1959: 33).
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 33.
Man in a Turban
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35 x 27 cm
inv. no. GMS-675b
Drawings of the heads of the Madonna (cat. no. 9), a man with a moustache (cat. no. 10), a Bedouin (cat. no. 7) and a young woman (cat.no. 6) were obviously made from a Skizzenbuch, but the artist’s confident strokes reveal great mastery of the metier. The outlines of these profiles, and especially the eyes (downcast in the case of the Madonna, serious in the man wearing a hat, and cruel in the Bedouin), clearly demonstrate this (Prijatelj 1959: 33). The precision and attention to detail is conspicuous, such as, for example, the drapery folds, eyelashes, beard and moustache hairs…
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 33.
Portrait of Sultan Mehmed II
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35.4 x 27 cm
inv. no. GMS-676a
The portrait of Emperor Mehmed II (as well as Skanderbeg, cat. no. 11) was created based on the illustrations in Hartman’s edition (1892) of the Pleasant Conversation of the Slavic People by Andrija Kačić Miošić. The Czech illustrator Václav Lev Anderle created 46 illustrations for said edition. Meštrović uses them as a template, but introduces his own modifications. For example, he elongated the face of Emperor Mehmed and made his expression crueller. The spirit of folk poetry and Meštrović’s vivid imagination are brought to life in these characters’ drawings. The young artist was not only able to recite verses about them by heart, but also compose them independently. The description of Emperor Mehmed II from Kačić’s collection of poems (p. 144 – illustrative insert) reads as follows: “Emperor Mehmet, as well as his father Murat, waged intense but unsuccessful wars with J. Kastriot; in 1453, however, he captured Constantinople and thus destroyed the Greek Empire.”
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959.
Madonna
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35.1 x 27 cm
inv. no. GMS-677a
Drawings of the heads of the Madonna, a man with a moustache (cat. no. 10) a Bedouin (cat. no. 7) and a young woman (cat. no. 6) were obviously made from a Skizzenbuch, but the artist’s confident strokes reveal great mastery of the metier. The outlines of these profiles, and especially the eyes (downcast in the case of the Madonna, serious in the man wearing a hat, and cruel in the Bedouin), clearly demonstrate this (Prijatelj 1959: 33). The drawing of the Madonna’s head is probably a study, that is, a template for the stone relief of the Head of the Madonna, which the young Meštrović carved in the same year, introducing some freer changes. He approaches the drawing of the Madonna with an elongated face, bowed head and lowered eyelids more delicately, thus achieving a greater expression of spirituality.
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 33.
Man with a Hat
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35.1 x 27 cm
inv. no. GMS-677b
Drawings of the heads of the Madonna (cat. no. 9), a man with a moustache (cat. no. 10), a Bedouin (cat. no. 7) and a young woman (cat.no. 6) were obviously made from a Skizzenbuch, but the artist’s confident strokes reveal great mastery of the metier. The outlines of these profiles, and especially the eyes (downcast in the case of the Madonna, serious in the man wearing a hat, and cruel in the Bedouin), clearly demonstrate this (Prijatelj 1959: 33).
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959: 33.
Portrait of Juraj Kastriotić Skanderbeg
Split, 1900
pencil on paper
35.1 x 26.1 cm
inv. no. GMS-679
The portrait of Juraj Kastriotić Skanderbeg (as well as Emperor Mehmed II, cat. no. 8) was created based on the illustrations in Hartman’s edition (1892) of the Pleasant Conversation of the Slavic People by Andrija Kačić Miošić. The Czech illustrator Václav Lev Anderle created 46 illustrations for said edition. Meštrović uses them as a template, but introduces his own modifications. The spirit of folk poetry and Meštrović’s vivid imagination are brought to life in these characters’ drawings. The young artist was not only able to recite verses about them by heart, but also compose them independently.
The description of Juraj Kastriotić Skanderbeg from Kačić’s collection of poems (p. 208) reads as follows: “son of Ivan Kastriotić, an Albanian commander in chief, born in 1494 (sic!). Raised at the court of the Turkish Emperor Murad. Having captured Albania by subterfuge in 1443, he ruled over it while waging continuous mostly successful wars with the Turks until his death in 1467. The grave of the first hero of his time is located in Lezha.”
Bibl.: KEČKEMET; PRIJATELJ 1959.
