Ivan Meštrović (1883 -1962) was a Croatian sculptor and architect. After his studies at the Art Academy of Vienna from 1907 to 1909, Meštrović lived for several years in Paris. Between the two world wars, he was a professor of art at the Art Academy in Zagreb. During this period he produced, among other things, the Strossmayer monument in Zagreb, the Monument to Grgur Ninski in Split, and the Bowman and the Spearman [also known as “Indians”] in Chicago. In 1947, Meštrović emigrated to the United States. He was professor of sculpture at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Strong influences on the currents of European and North American arts can be attributed to Meštrović; himself stimulated by the Paris Expressionism and the Vienna Secession, his works carry features of the Attic people, but at the same time he reinforces the tradition of his own people.
In 1952, Ivan Meštrović donated his home and studio in Zagreb, the family villa with studios in Split, the castellan in Split and the Meštrović family tomb near Otavice to the country of Croatia. The donation also included a number of pieces of Meštrović's art. In 2007, the Foundation of Ivan Meštrović Museums, with the headquarters in Split, was founded. Its task is to spread the life and work of Ivan Meštrović, and in particular, to highlight his contributions to the visual arts of the 20th century with exhibitions, publications, scientific work and educational programs. The activities and programs of the Ivan Meštrović Museums are funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. The Meštrović Gallery (Palace and Castellan) in Split and the Meštrović Studio in Zagreb today house a variety of his work.
ATELIER MEŠTROVIĆ in ZAGREB (Mletacka 8)
In 1920, Ivan Meštrović bought three parcels of land with buildings from the late 17th Century in the historical center of Zagreb, which he then converted. There he lived with his family until he left the country in 1942. Between 1959 and 1961, the Meštrović Atelier fell under the jurisdiction of the City Gallery of Contemporary Art. Between 1961 and 1991 it formed part of the gallery in Zagreb. In 1966 the Institute of Monument Conservation of the city of Zagreb listed the facility as a protected monument. After repairs, the Studio Meštrović featured the permanent exhibition of Ivan Meštrović’s works, completely opened to the public in 1969. Today the collection comprises more than 300 works of art.
Meštrović Gallery in Split (Setaliste Ivana Meštrović a 46)
The palace in Split was rebuilt for Ivan Meštrović between 1931 and 1939, where he lived with his family starting in 1932. After the land was donated, the gallery celebrated its opening on 9 September 1952. The gallery was connected to the Conservation Institute of Dalmatia until 1955 and was later under the Cultural and Education Section of the city of Split.
The gallery opened with 70 sculptures. Over time, the collections grew through acquisitions, exchange, casting of bronze and stone sculptures from plaster models and donation of the artist himself, his heirs or other donors to comprise 192 sculptures, 583 drawings, 4 paintings, and 291 architectural plans.
Among the museums is also the Castellan in the vicinity of the Ivan Meštrović Gallery in Split. In 1939, Ivan Meštrović bought the complex and integrated the Holy Cross church in the existing structure of the complex. Especially appreciated is the cycle of 28 wood reliefs from the life of Christ, on which he worked for more than four decades.
