Josip Račić
Encyclopedia
Josip Račić was a Croatian painter in the early 20th century. Although he died very young (he was only 23), and his work was mostly created when a student, he is one of the best known of the modern Croatian painters. Today, Račić is regarded as one of the most important representatives of Croatian modern painting.
He studied lithography in Zagreb
, and 1904 he went to Vienna
and Munich
, where he studied for a year at the school of the Slovene painter and teacher Anton Ažbe
, followed by 3 years at the prestigious Academy of Arts. There, Račić, along with Oskar Herman
, Vladimir Becić
and Miroslav Kraljević
formed the group known as the Croatian School. In 1908, he went to Paris where he painted a series of watercolors and oils depicting Parisian bridges, avenues and parks. He died of a gunshot wound in a Paris hotel room in June 1908, having committed suicide.
Josip Račić is one of the founders of modern Croatian art, the first to bring the concept of self-awareness and artistic integrity to his life and works, "pure painting", as he called it. A particular feature of his paintings is the strong dark realms of human spirituality. A retrospective of his work was held in the Modern Gallery in Zagreb and Dubrovnik in 2008-2009, to mark the 100th anniversary of the artist's death.
(today the area of Knežija and Srednjaci). From 1892 to 1896 he went to the lower town general elementary school for boys in Samostanska ulica in Zagreb (today called the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Elementary School. His elementary school drawing master was the artist Oton Iveković
. From 1896 to 1900 he attended the Royal High School in Zagreb, which is now the home of the Mimara Museum
.
Račić learned the trade of lithography
from 1900 to 1903 from Vladimir Rožankowsky, a master craftsman and owner of a lithographic studio in Zagreb. In 1904 he went to Munich to study at the School of Anton Ažbe
who very quickly noticed Račić’s talents and encouraged him to go on working and studying. In 1905, Račić was briefly employed as a lithographic draughtsman in the firm of Deutsches Verlag R. Bong und Comp in Berlin, but later the same year returned to Munich and entered the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied for three years (1905–1908) under such teachers as Johann and Ludwig Herterich, and Hugo von Habermann. At that time Munich was a center of European art scene for realism
, Post-Impressionism
, Symbolism
and Jugendstil.
Josip Račić, along with Oskar Herman
, Vladimir Becić
and Miroslav Kraljević
, formed the group then known as Die Kroatische Schule (The Croatian School). In Croatian art history they are referred to as the Munich Circle or the Munich Four. Their work drew much on the painting of Wilhelm Leibl
and Édouard Manet
(whose work they had the opportunity to see in Munich in 1907) and of older masters, the works of Frans Hals
, Goya and Velázquez. Josip Račić's own work displayed strong tonal architectural qualities, with marked fullness of form and a profound psychology in the figures.
In 1908, Račić moved to Paris, where he copied works from the Louvre, painted parks, river bank and café scenes, portraits and self-portraits.
Josip Račić died of gunshot wounds in a Paris hotel room on 20 June 1908. He had committed suicide for reasons that still remain unclear.
, Račić was one of the first pioneers of the Munich Academy of art, his attitude is certainly important as the Leibl phenomenon in the history of German painting.
The early 20th century saw great changes in European art, and Croatian art was also taking on a new form. The Munich Four were part of the new direction, especially "J. Račić and M. Kraljević, who in their short lives succeeded in succeeded in creating works pivotal to the continued development of art".
"Do not be in any doubt as to Račić's inherent artistic sensibility and the authenticity of his power to think.
(...) Račić's painting is at the top the end of the development of traditional realism in the broad sense of the word. Oriented toward Manet, the idealized Goya and focused shaping of forces: the true pictorial interpretation of emotions. His work certainly stands above all" Radoslav Putar
Račić's work is extremely important for the birth of the Croatian modern art and its incorporation into European trends of modern painting.
The Josip Račić Modern Gallery Studio in Zagreb is named in honour of the artist. It is associated with the Modern Gallery, and is dedicated to the presentation of the works of Croatian contemporary artists.
Works by Josip Račić are on display in the Modern Gallery in Zagreb as part of its permanent collection.
Online exhibit of his works: http://www.remek-djela.com/aktivnosti/izlozba-racic/racic.htm
He studied lithography in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, and 1904 he went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he studied for a year at the school of the Slovene painter and teacher Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe was a Slovene realist painter and teacher of painting.Ažbe, crippled since birth and orphaned at the age of 8, learned painting as an apprentice to Janez Wolf and at the Academies in Vienna and Munich. At the age of 30 Ažbe founded his own school of painting in Munich that became a...
, followed by 3 years at the prestigious Academy of Arts. There, Račić, along with Oskar Herman
Oskar Herman
Oskar Herman was a Croatian Jewish painter. He was one of the group of Croatian artists known as the Munich Circle, who had a strong influence on modern art in Croatia.-Biography:...
, Vladimir Becić
Vladimir Becić
Vladimir Becić was a Croatian painter, best known for his early work in Munich, which had a strong influence on the direction of modern art in Croatia...
and Miroslav Kraljević
Miroslav Kraljevic
Miroslav Kraljević was a Croatian painter, printmaker and sculptor, active in the early part of the 20th century. He is one of the founders of modern art in Croatia....
formed the group known as the Croatian School. In 1908, he went to Paris where he painted a series of watercolors and oils depicting Parisian bridges, avenues and parks. He died of a gunshot wound in a Paris hotel room in June 1908, having committed suicide.
Josip Račić is one of the founders of modern Croatian art, the first to bring the concept of self-awareness and artistic integrity to his life and works, "pure painting", as he called it. A particular feature of his paintings is the strong dark realms of human spirituality. A retrospective of his work was held in the Modern Gallery in Zagreb and Dubrovnik in 2008-2009, to mark the 100th anniversary of the artist's death.
Biography
Josip Račić was born on 22 March 1885 in Horvati, near ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
(today the area of Knežija and Srednjaci). From 1892 to 1896 he went to the lower town general elementary school for boys in Samostanska ulica in Zagreb (today called the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Elementary School. His elementary school drawing master was the artist Oton Iveković
Oton Ivekovic
Oton Iveković was one of the foremost Croatian painters. He graduated from the Vienna Academy of Painting. He later taught at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts. Iveković largely concerned himself with historical topics as well as some religious themes...
. From 1896 to 1900 he attended the Royal High School in Zagreb, which is now the home of the Mimara Museum
Mimara Museum
The Mimara Museum is an art museum in the city of Zagreb, Croatia. It is situated at the Roosevelt Square, housing the collection by Wiltrud and Ante Topić Mimara...
.
Račić learned the trade of lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
from 1900 to 1903 from Vladimir Rožankowsky, a master craftsman and owner of a lithographic studio in Zagreb. In 1904 he went to Munich to study at the School of Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe was a Slovene realist painter and teacher of painting.Ažbe, crippled since birth and orphaned at the age of 8, learned painting as an apprentice to Janez Wolf and at the Academies in Vienna and Munich. At the age of 30 Ažbe founded his own school of painting in Munich that became a...
who very quickly noticed Račić’s talents and encouraged him to go on working and studying. In 1905, Račić was briefly employed as a lithographic draughtsman in the firm of Deutsches Verlag R. Bong und Comp in Berlin, but later the same year returned to Munich and entered the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied for three years (1905–1908) under such teachers as Johann and Ludwig Herterich, and Hugo von Habermann. At that time Munich was a center of European art scene for realism
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
, Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. Fry used the term when he organized the 1910 exhibition Manet and Post-Impressionism...
, Symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
and Jugendstil.
Josip Račić, along with Oskar Herman
Oskar Herman
Oskar Herman was a Croatian Jewish painter. He was one of the group of Croatian artists known as the Munich Circle, who had a strong influence on modern art in Croatia.-Biography:...
, Vladimir Becić
Vladimir Becić
Vladimir Becić was a Croatian painter, best known for his early work in Munich, which had a strong influence on the direction of modern art in Croatia...
and Miroslav Kraljević
Miroslav Kraljevic
Miroslav Kraljević was a Croatian painter, printmaker and sculptor, active in the early part of the 20th century. He is one of the founders of modern art in Croatia....
, formed the group then known as Die Kroatische Schule (The Croatian School). In Croatian art history they are referred to as the Munich Circle or the Munich Four. Their work drew much on the painting of Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Maria Hubertus Leibl was a German realist painter of portraits and scenes of peasant life.Leibl was born in Cologne and in 1861 began his first training with Hermann Becker, a local painter. He entered the Munich Academy in 1864, subsequently studying with several artists including Carl...
and Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
(whose work they had the opportunity to see in Munich in 1907) and of older masters, the works of Frans Hals
Frans Hals
Frans Hals was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He is notable for his loose painterly brushwork, and helped introduce this lively style of painting into Dutch art. Hals was also instrumental in the evolution of 17th century group portraiture.-Biography:Hals was born in 1580 or 1581, in Antwerp...
, Goya and Velázquez. Josip Račić's own work displayed strong tonal architectural qualities, with marked fullness of form and a profound psychology in the figures.
In 1908, Račić moved to Paris, where he copied works from the Louvre, painted parks, river bank and café scenes, portraits and self-portraits.
Josip Račić died of gunshot wounds in a Paris hotel room on 20 June 1908. He had committed suicide for reasons that still remain unclear.
Legacy
Josip Račić is considered one of the greatest enigmas of Croatian modern art. From simple beginnings, he arrived in Munich, at that time one of the great creative centers of the European art scene, and found for himself inspiration in the paintings of Leibl, Manet and the Impressionists, and the tradition of Velázquez and Rembrandt. According to Miroslav KrležaMiroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža was a leading Croatian and Yugoslav writer and the dominant figure in cultural life of both Yugoslav states, the Kingdom and the Republic . He has often been proclaimed the greatest Croatian writer of the 20th century.-Biography:Miroslav Krleža was born in Zagreb, modern-day...
, Račić was one of the first pioneers of the Munich Academy of art, his attitude is certainly important as the Leibl phenomenon in the history of German painting.
The early 20th century saw great changes in European art, and Croatian art was also taking on a new form. The Munich Four were part of the new direction, especially "J. Račić and M. Kraljević, who in their short lives succeeded in succeeded in creating works pivotal to the continued development of art".
"Do not be in any doubt as to Račić's inherent artistic sensibility and the authenticity of his power to think.
(...) Račić's painting is at the top the end of the development of traditional realism in the broad sense of the word. Oriented toward Manet, the idealized Goya and focused shaping of forces: the true pictorial interpretation of emotions. His work certainly stands above all" Radoslav Putar
Račić's work is extremely important for the birth of the Croatian modern art and its incorporation into European trends of modern painting.
The Josip Račić Modern Gallery Studio in Zagreb is named in honour of the artist. It is associated with the Modern Gallery, and is dedicated to the presentation of the works of Croatian contemporary artists.
Exhibits
- 1920 The first solo (posthumous) exhibit of his work was arranged by Ljubo Babić in the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb.
- 1961 Modern Gallery, ZagrebModern Gallery, ZagrebModern Gallery is a museum in Zagreb, Croatia that holds the most important and comprehensive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings by 19th and 20th century Croatian artists. The collection numbers around 10,000 works of art, housed since 1934 in the historic Vranyczany Palace in the...
Josip Račić Exhibition - 2004 Adris Gallery, Rovinj Josip Račić Exhibition open: from 23 July - 20 September 2004. From the collection of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb
- 2008 Modern Gallery in Zagreb The first complete retrospective of works by Josip Račić, one of the most important representatives of Croatian modern painting. The most complete presentation of the oeuvre of Račić to date. It showed almost all the Račić works held in museums, galleries and privately in and outside Croatia. Also included are works recently ascribed to the great painter, works the attribution of which to Račić is still in dispute, a large selection of documentation (letters, photographs, postcards and picture postcard) as well as a selection of the works of the great world masters who were Račić’s models. The exhibit included more than one hundred works, oils, watercolors and drawings. In addition to works from the holdings of the Modern Gallery, there were works borrowed from other collections by Croatian and foreign museums and private owners that provided the widest and deepest insight into the relatively meager work of the artist whose life ended in his 24th year. A significant part of the exhibition were Račić's childhood drawings, documentary materials, which completes the picture of his short but very productive life and work.
- 2009 Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik Josip Račić - A Retrospective Exhibition
Works by Josip Račić are on display in the Modern Gallery in Zagreb as part of its permanent collection.
Works
- Muškarac sa šalom (Man with scarf), 1907. oil on canvas
- Portret starog prijatelja I (Portrait of an Old Friend I), 1907. oil on canvas
- Portret starog prijatelja II (Portrait of an Old Friend II), 1907. oil on canvas
- Starac u crvenom prsluku (Old Man with Red Vest), 1907. oil on canvas
- Dama u bijelom (Lady in White), 1907. oil on canvas Alternative title: Portret gospode u bijeloj bluzi (Woman in a White Blouse)?
- Gospođica u crnom (Woman in Red), 1907. oil on canvas Portret gospode u crnini (1907)
- Portret gospode sa sesirom (Portrait of Woman with Hat) (1907)oil on canvas
- Portret sestre Pepice (Portrait of Sister Pepice), 1907. oil on canvas
- Ženski akt (Female Nude), 1907. oil on canvas
- Autoportret (Self-portrait), 1908. oil on canvas
- U kavani (In the Cafe), 1908. watercolour
- Kavana na boulevaru (Cafe on the Boulevard), 1908. akvarel
- Majka i dijete (Mother and Child), 1908. oil on canvas
- Portret slikara Schuleina (Portrait of the artist Schuleina?) (1908)
- Pont des Arts (Bridge of the Arts), 1908. oil on canvas
- U parku (In the Park), 1908. watercolour
- U razgovoru (Conversation), 1908. watercolour
- Pred ogledalom (In Front of the Mirror), 1908. watercolour
- Na boulevaru I (On the Boulevard I), 1908. watercolour
- Na boulevaru II (On the Boulevard II), 1908.watercolour
Online exhibit of his works: http://www.remek-djela.com/aktivnosti/izlozba-racic/racic.htm