From October 1924 until July 1925, Ivan Meštrović stayed in New York to work on his exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, as well as other American cities, eliciting positive reactions from professionals and the general public in North America. Meštrović’s sojourn in the US is also the period of greater acquisitions of his works, public and private commissions, as well as intense artistic production. In his New York studio, he created about a dozen sculptures and a considerable number of drawings.
The drawings created in New York in 1925, feature a wide range of subjects and motifs: studies of women and female nudes, the theme of motherhood, the motif of a woman with musical instruments, prophets and other religious motifs, lovers, mythological themes. They are characterised by pronounced voluminousness, which the artist achieves with solid outlines of the depicted figure on an empty background. The drawings feature broad pastel strokes and additional shading thus achieving the impression of plasticity. Meštrović exhibited them as part of exhibitions of his sculptural works, and the fact that the drawings were showcased independently in Philadelphia in 1925 supports Meštrović’s increasing appreciation of drawing as an autonomous work of art.
A special curiosity when it comes to the series of “New York drawings” is the sale price recorded on the back of certain copies. The price of the drawings, ranging between 155 and 300 US dollars, speaks of the high market appreciation of Meštrović’s work at that time. In addition, a considerable number of drawings were acquired by various institutions and are today kept in collections throughout the US.
Seated Man with a Book
New York, 1925
red pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
61.2 x 50.8 cm
inv. no. GMS-303
The motif of the prophet is often represented in Meštrović’s oeuvre, and it appears on paper as early as 1923, in a lithographic portfolio. There are several versions of the same motif in the series of drawings from 1925, in the gallery holdings (cat. no. 98). He will return to the theme again in the period of 1941/1942, during his incarceration in the Ustasha prison, when, conveying his own traumatic experience and finding solace in his work, he will execute twenty-odd drawings with religious themes.
Semi-Reclining Female Nude
New York, 1925.
crni pastel na papiru
40,4 x 62 cm
inv. br. GMS-305
The characteristic dip of the head of the depicted female figure is reminiscent of the sculpture Woman by the Sea, which Meštrović realised in 1926. We notice in the drawing his attempt at a slightly different composition of the semi-reclining body. He will repeat the parallel layers of drapery under the feet in the second drawing study for the same sculpture (cat. no. 84).
An information written on the back represents a special curiosity: the selling price of USD 180, an amount for which the drawing could be bought during Meštrović’s American tour. We have reliable information that it was shown at the exhibition of Meštrović’s sculptures and drawings in Baltimore in 1925 (Prančević 2008 a: 16).
Study for the representation of Christ and the Adulteress
New York, 1925
pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
60.4 x 50.8 cm
inv. no. GMS-310
Meštrović repeated the motif of Christ in a seated position as he writes with the tip of his fingers in the sand, in several versions: on the lithographic sheet Jesus’ Judgement of the Harlot (Zagreb, 1923) and the wooden relief Woman Taken in Adultery, that forms part of the Christological cycle of 28 walnut reliefs displayed in the small Church of the Holy Cross at Meštrović’s Crikvine, Kaštilac in Split. In these depictions, Christ is part of a composition with a considerable number of closely spaced participants – the Pharisees who bring the adulteress before Christ’s judgement. The isolated figure of Christ thus acquires a special contemplative atmosphere, which strengthens his words: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her!” (Jn 8:7).
Lit.: JURIĆ ŠABIĆ; ŠEPAROVIĆ PALADA 2017: 99-104.
Female Bust with a Flower
New York, 1925
brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
68.7 x 50.4 cm
inv. no. GMS-311
In many of the New York drawings, Meštrović draws a study of a woman in various positions and situations, in quiet contemplation, at a washbasin or, in turn, playing music. Here, however, he achieves the gracefulness of expression typical of Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, whose many reproductions he kept in his photo archives (today, part of the photo library in the Meštrović Gallery in Split)
Prophet
New York, 1925
dark brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
59 x 40.2 cm
inv. no. GMS-313
The motif of the prophet is often represented in Meštrović’s oeuvre, and it appears on paper as early as 1923, in a lithographic portfolio. There are several versions of the same motif in the series of drawings from 1925, in the gallery holdings (cat. no. 98). He will return to the theme again in the period of 1941/1942, during his incarceration in the Ustasha prison, when, conveying his own traumatic experience and finding solace in his work, he will execute twenty-odd drawings with religious themes.
Bibl.: PRANČEVIĆ 2004: kat. br. 43.
Izl.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Split 2004. Zagreb 2004 b.
Standing Man
(Christ)
New York, 1925
brown pastel on paper
61.1 x 41.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-315b
This is probably a study of Christ’s figure that is part of the scene of his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. This claim is supported by the outline of the well that his right hand is touching, as well as the eponymous depiction on the other side of the drawing. The Samaritan woman, a sinner, who had five husbands, belonged to a people whom the Jews considered to be impure and heretics. The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman speaks of the possibility of dialogue and overcoming differences in worldview and religion. Here, Meštrović rendered Christ as an extremely active protagonist, briskly moving and gesticulating, engaged in active dialogue. Two years later, he will carve the motif of Christ meeting with the Samaritan woman in wood, in the relief Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, which today forms part of the Christological cycle displayed in the small Church of the Holy Cross at Crikvine, Kaštilac.
Note: The drawing’s selling price of USD180 is written in the lower right corner.
Motherhood (Olga with Tvrtko)
New York, 1925
black pastel on paper
60.3 x 39 cm
inv. no. GMS-316
After starting a family with his wife Olga, with whom he will have four children, Meštrović’s oeuvre features increasingly frequent depictions of women with children. The sculptor immortalises everyday moments of maternal love (Mother Teaching Her Child to Pray, Mother Breastfeeding Her Child), and at times elevates the same motif to the level of religious interpretation (Madonna with Children). The joy of living, of parenthood, of the fulfilment that comes from creating new life and the realisation that one’s own existence is prolonged by offspring, can be recognised in the aforementioned works created in New York in 1925.
At the same time, several drawings titled Woman with Child (cat. no. 97) deal with the same motif – the tender love of a mother for a child, and record ordinary moments of hugs, kisses, a mother holding a child on her lap. As in the sculptural renderings, the drawings also feature recognisable physiognomies of the Meštrović family members: wife Olga, daughter Marta (b. 1924) and son Tvrtko (b. 1925). The motif depicted in this drawing is connected to the sculptural execution of the relief Mother Pledging Her Child
Izl.: Vrpolje 2013. Zadar 2013.
Study for the Woman by the Sea
New York, 1925
black pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
62 x 40.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-317
The drawing is a study for the sculpture Woman by the Sea, he marble version of which is kept in the Meštrović Atelier in Zagreb, and its bronze cast is held by the Meštrović Gallery in Split. And while the position here is somewhat different compared to the sculpture, the composition is harmonious and balanced, and the impression of full and polished volumes that are realised in sculptural form is achieved with soft shading.
Written on the back of the drawing, in the upper right corner, is most likely the selling price (during the 1924 – 1926 American tour) of USD200.
Izl.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Moskva 1989. Lenjingrad 1989. Kijev 1989. Split 1995. Dubrovnik 1995. Rijeka 1996.
Woman with a Cello
New York, 1925
red pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
60.9 x 40.7 cm
inv. no. GMS-319
Several New York drawings are devoted to the motif of women playing music (cat. no. 92). Meštrović devoted himself to the topic of women with musical instruments as World War I was drawing to a close, as a reflection of the optimistic atmosphere and the desire for universal harmony. A little more than two decades later, he sculpted the same motif of a woman with a cello, in his studio at the American University in Syracuse, in two sculptures titled Girl with a Cello. One of them, with a comparative title Symphony, was donated by Rumjana and Mate Meštrović in 2011, thus becoming part of the Meštrović Gallery collection.1
Bibl.: PRANČEVIĆ 2004: kat. br. 46.
Izl.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Moskva 1989. Lenjingrad 1989. Kijev 1989. Split 2004. Zagreb 2004 b.
Kneeling Female Nude
New York, 1925
black pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
61.1 x 41 cm
inv. no. GMS-321
In many of the New York drawings, Meštrović draws a study of a woman in various positions and situations, in quiet contemplation, at a washbasin or, in turn, playing music. Here, however, he depicts a woman in sorrow. The emotional moment can be connected to the sculptor’s absence and separation from family during his American tour.
Seated Woman
New York, 1925
red pastel on paper
51.3 x 38.1 cm
inv. no. GMS-336
While in the other New York drawings the emphasis is on a solidly shaped human figure on an empty background, in this drawing we also experience space. It is suggested with the chair in the foreground, rendered with perspective foreshortening, and the dressing table in the background delineated using very soft pastel strokes.
Kneeling Woman
New York, 1925
red pastel on paper
50.7 x 38.2 cm
inv. no. GMS-345
Prančević (2008 b: 22) connects several examples (kat. br. 89, 90) rom the group of New York drawings with the motif of the arms held aloft, like the one depicted in the lithographic sheet Yearning, suggesting also that this motif is traditionally associated with religious and mythological context.
Note: The selling price of USD165 is written on the back, in the lower right corner.
Lit.: PRANČEVIĆ 2008. b: 22.
Kneeling Woman
New York, c. 1925
dark brown pastel on paper
51 x 32 cm
inv. no. GMS-348
Prančević (2008 b: 22) connects several examples (kat. br. 89, 90) rom the group of New York drawings with the motif of the arms held aloft, like the one depicted in the lithographic sheet Yearning, suggesting also that this motif is traditionally associated with religious and mythological context.
Note: The selling price of USD155 is written on the back, in the lower right corner.
Lit.: PRANČEVIĆ 2008. b: 22.
Standing Woman
New York, 1925
dark brown pastel on paper (glued with passepartout)
51.4 x 29.1 cm
inv. no. GMS-351
In this period, Meštrović made a considerable number of studies of women, and here the female figure is examined in a standing position, and in motion. The compressed position of the head and compact body, so that the composition would “fit” into a vertical frame, gives the impression that this is a study for architectural sculpture, like the reliefs he made for the porch of the villa at Meje.
Number 200 is written on the back of the drawing, which may refer to the selling price in US dollars.
Girl with a Cello
New York, 1925
dark brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
51.2 x 38.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-381
Several New York drawings are devoted to the motif of women playing music (cat. no. 92). Meštrović devoted himself to the topic of women with musical instruments as World War I was drawing to a close, as a reflection of the optimistic atmosphere and the desire for universal harmony. A little more than two decades later, he sculpted the same motif of a woman with a cello, in his studio at the American University in Syracuse, in two sculptures titled Girl with a Cello. One of them, with a comparative title Symphony, was donated by Rumjana and Mate Meštrović in 2011, thus becoming part of the Meštrović Gallery collection.1
Bibl.: PRANČEVIĆ 2004: kat. br. 46.
Izl.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Moskva 1989. Lenjingrad 1989. Kijev 1989. Split 2004. Zagreb 2004 b.
Tender Embrace
New York, 1925
dark brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
50.7 x 37.2 cm
inv. no. GMS-383
Being away from his family during the American tour, Meštrović’s works express nostalgic longing for an idyllic family life. The drawing Embrace (cat. no. 96), as well as three other drawings with the motif of a male and female nude embracing (cat. no. 44, 45), tenderly depict the mature love between a man and a woman united in one homogenous mass. Nevertheless, the dominance of the male figure is evident, both in the powerful staging of the male figure who dominates and carries the entire composition, and in the sheer contrast between the clothed man and the bare sensuality of the female figure.
Bibl.: JURIĆ ŠABIĆ 2016: 124-125.
Izl.: Zagreb 2016. Ljubljana 2018.
Seated Man with a Book (Prophet)
New York, 1925
dark brown pastel on paper
76 x 50.9 cm
inv. no. GMS-406
The motif of the prophet is often represented in Meštrović’s oeuvre, and it appears on paper as early as 1923, in a lithographic portfolio. There are several versions of the same motif in the series of drawings from 1925, in the gallery holdings. He will return to the theme again in the period of 1941/1942, during his incarceration in the Ustasha prison, when, conveying his own traumatic experience and finding solace in his work, he will execute twenty-odd drawings with religious themes.
This drawing can be connected to Meštrović’s Monument to Marko Marulić, Croatian writer and humanist. They share very similar physiognomic features, as well as the principle of composing the upper body focusing on the book motif, that is, the act of writing. Meštrović actually adds his own portrait characteristics to the famous Croatian poet, which was not an isolated case in his oeuvre. He often transferred his own facial features to the characters he created, especially in the depiction of prophets, evangelists and saints.
This was one of the most frequently exhibited and reproduced drawings as part of Meštrović’s exhibitions during the 1920s and 1930s
Izl.: IV. kolektivna izložba – Ivan Meštrović (Zagreb: Umjetnički paviljon, 1932.). Ivan Meštrović (Prag: Belvedere, 1933.). Ivan Meštrović – Ausstellung von Bildwerfen und Zeichnungen (München: Kunstverein München, 1935.). Zagreb 1983. – 1984.
Embrace
New York, 1925
black pastel on paper
59.8 x 41.6 cm
inv. no. GMS-414
Being away from his family during the American tour, Meštrović’s works express nostalgic longing for an idyllic family life. The drawing Embrace, as well as three other drawings with the motif of a male and female nude embracing (cat. no. 44, 45, 93), tenderly depict the mature love between a man and a woman united in one homogenous mass. Nevertheless, the dominance of the male figure is evident, both in the powerful staging of the male figure who dominates and carries the entire composition, and in the sheer contrast between the clothed man and the bare sensuality of the female figure.
In the drawing Embrace, Vera Horvat Pintarić (2009: 674) emphasises the exceptional immediacy and credibility of the depicted moment, but also recognises biographical elements in it:
„The man’s head, its profile, resembles Meštrović’s head, the way he portrayed himself in self-portraits. (…) This drawing also says something about himself: the man is big and strong, the woman is small, in his large lap she is like a doll.”
Note: The selling price of USD300 is written on the back.
Bibl.: PRANČEVIĆ 2004: kat. br. 51. PRANČEVIĆ 2008 a: kat. br. 27. PINTARIĆ 2009: 674. JURIĆ ŠABIĆ 2016 b: 124-125.
Izl.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Split 2004. Cavtat 2004. Hvar 2004. Zagreb 2004 b. Slavonski Brod 2008. Zagreb 2016. Ljubljana 2018. Bjelovar 2019.
Woman with Child
New York, 1925
brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
74 x 52 cm
inv. no. GMS-612
We recognise the motif in this drawing as a study for the marble sculpture Madonna and Children. Despite the religious title, the sculptor found inspiration in his own family, depicting his wife Olga and newborn son Tvrtko. In the sculptural version, he added his daughter Marta to the family portrait. Both the sculpture and the drawing emit the atmosphere of an intimate family moment, which we recognise in the mother’s gentle smile, the touches and movements of the hands, and the group’s connection into an indivisible whole.
Exb.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984.
Prophet
New York, 1925
brown pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
62 x 50.5 cm
inv. no. GMS-615
The motif of the prophet is often represented in Meštrović’s oeuvre, and it appears on paper as early as 1923, in a lithographic portfolio. There are several versions of the same motif in the series of drawings from 1925, in the gallery holdings (cat. no. 98). He will return to the theme again in the period of 1941/1942, during his incarceration in the Ustasha prison, when, conveying his own traumatic experience and finding solace in his work, he will execute twenty-odd drawings with religious themes.
Bibl.: PRANČEVIĆ 2004: kat. br. 43.
Exb.: Zagreb 1983. – 1984. Split 2004. Zagreb 2004 b.
Lamentation with Christ and Two Women
New York, 1925
red pastel on paper (glued on coloured paper)
61 x 46 cm
inv. no. GMS-616
One of the most represented themes in Meštrović’s religious oeuvre is that of lamentation, which he has rendered in drawing, lithography, painting and sculpture throughout his career. From 1913 onwards, the motif of lamentation, the depiction of Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ in her lap, appears more frequently in Meštrović’s oeuvre. On the eve of World War I, motivated by human suffering, Meštrović turned to the subject of Christ’s suffering.