Hvar - Artmark România

signature

signed and dated bottom right, in blue, "M. Vanka (1)926"

medium

watercolor on paper

description

Maksimilijan Vanka (Zagreb, 1889 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 1963) was a Croatian painter who grew up in the impoverished Zagorje village of Kupljenovo. He was educated by Bela Čikoš Sesija at the Higher School for Art and Craft, and his early works already showed his talent. He then continued his education at the Academy in Brussels. During his student travels through Belgium and the Netherlands, he painted a lot (city views, interiors, portraits, marines in watercolor and pastel) and in 1914 he won the Golden Medal of King Albert for the painting "Pilgrimage". He continued to exhibit upon his return to Croatia, creating works in watercolor and sanguine. Towards the end of the 1920s, with Becić, Babić, and Miše, he formed the "Group of Four". With Vanka's departure in 1929, the group transformed into the "Group of Three". He spent his summers on the island of Korčula, where he established an art colony attended by his fellow painters and intellectuals. He taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb until he moved to the United States in 1934. While living in America, he found inspiration in New York skyscrapers, beggars and homeless people, harborside bars, and street fights. An important phase of his work during this period was painting frescoes in the Church of St. Nicholas in Millvale, near Pittsburgh. Through his friend Gustl Frank, he met his wife, American, Margaret Stetten, whom he married on Korčula in 1931. The following year their family expanded with the birth of a daughter. After Vanka's death, his wife and daughter donated two houses on Korčula and 47 of Vanka's works of art to the Croatian Academy of Science and Arts (HAZU). Vanka's long-standing friend, journalist Lujo Adamič, made him a character in his novels "Zipper of Life" and "My America". Throughout his life, in addition to painting, Vanka created exhibition posters, did artwork for books, and designed postcards, greeting cards, as well as dance costumes. His creation can be divided into three groups: decorative compositions of large formats and folk character, religious compositions, and landscapes and portraits in oil and watercolor. Even after leaving Croatia, Croatian landscapes remained a consistent motif in his paintings throughout his life. This is precisely the motive in a watercolor on paper titled "Hvar" dated 1926. It depicts untouched nature, devoid of people, contributing to the tranquility of the scene. A strong contrast between the bright field and dark massif in the background achieves drama and intensity of expression, as well as a sense of depth and natural harmony. The toning of the color demonstrates Vanka's masterful technique and ability to convey emotions through painted scenes. Impressionism is evident precisely in the play of light and color, and expressionism in the dynamism and drama of the forms.

dimensions

width: 74.5 cm
height: 58 cm

research_info

The work was exhibited at the group exhibition "Yugoslavian Graphics", in Lvov, 1927, and is mentioned in the exhibition catalog under catalog number 193. and the title "From the island of Hvar (Dalmatia)".

dating

1926.

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84. Hvar [1926.]

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