Krsto Hegedušic
Encyclopedia
Krsto Hegedušić was a Croatia
n painter, illustrator and theater designer. His most famous paintings depict the harsh life of the Croatian peasantry in the manner of naive art
. He was one of the founders of the Zemlja group of artists.
He was born in Petrinja
, but when his father died in 1909, the family came back to Hlebine
, the village in the region of Podravina
from which they originated.
In 1920 Hegedušić enrolled in the Arts and Crafts
College in Zagreb
, where he made his first idyllic paintings of Podravina. The painting courses of Vladimir Becić
and Tomislav Krizman
widened his horizons, but did not influence his style.
In 1926 he was awarded a French government scholarship and spent two years in Paris
. There he studied the paintings of Pieter Breughel.
Hegedušić made his first one-man exhibition with Juraj Plančić at the Ulrich Gallery in Zagreb in 1926. He made paintings with social themes, showing the exploitation of the Croatian peasants. In 1929 he got together with the painters Ivan Tabaković
and Oton Postružnik, as well as Leo Junek in Paris. They founded Zemlja ("soil" in Croatian
), the first Croatian group of artists that promoted Marxism
. Hegedušić was their ideologue and unofficial leader. Paintings like The Accordionist and The Flood are socially critical and reject purely artistic goals.
In 1930 he founded the Hlebine School, a naive art
movement that involved young peasant painters. One of them, Ivan Generalić
, reached world fame. Podravina Motifs, published in 1933, was a book combining his drawings with a poetic essay
by Miroslav Krleža
, today considered a masterpiece of Croatian literature
. Krleža would later write a script for a documentary feature about Hegedušić (1962).
Hegedušić started teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
in 1936. During the anti-communist
oppression in the 1930s, he was arrested several times. When the Nazi
-sponsored Ustaša came to power in 1941, Hegedušić came under the protection of the Archbishop Stepinac
. He spent the war quietly working on various themes, including religion (numerous sketches for the Calvary fresco in Marija Bistrica
in 1941). When the communist government was installed in Yugoslavia
in 1945, Hegedušić was appointed professor at the Zagreb Academy. In 1950, he founded a "master's studio" there.
Paintings like The Bridegroom, the Ox and the Pump from 1969 are critical of urban life. In the period 1971-73, Hegedušić worked on a large cycle of macabre frescoes for the war memorial of Tjentište
.
He illustrated books and designed ballet and theater sets. He died in Zagreb.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n painter, illustrator and theater designer. His most famous paintings depict the harsh life of the Croatian peasantry in the manner of naive art
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
. He was one of the founders of the Zemlja group of artists.
He was born in Petrinja
Petrinja
Petrinja is a city in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. The city belongs to Sisak-Moslavina County .- History :The name of Petrinja has its roots in Latin petrus, meaning "stone"...
, but when his father died in 1909, the family came back to Hlebine
Hlebine
Hlebine is a municipality in Koprivnica-Križevci County in Croatia. It consists of two villages, Hlebine and Gabajeva Greda.-Population:Its population is earns its living primarily from agricultural production. The population has been decreasing continuously for a number of years...
, the village in the region of Podravina
Podravina
Podravina or Podravje are Slavic names for the Drava river basin in Croatia and Slovenia.-History:...
from which they originated.
In 1920 Hegedušić enrolled in the Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
College 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...
, where he made his first idyllic paintings of Podravina. The painting courses of 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 Tomislav Krizman
Tomislav Krizman
Tomislav Krizman , was a Croatian painter, graphic artist, costume and set designer, teacher, author and organizer of cultural events. He painted in oils and tempera, although he is principally remembered for his remarkable graphic art....
widened his horizons, but did not influence his style.
In 1926 he was awarded a French government scholarship and spent two years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There he studied the paintings of Pieter Breughel.
Hegedušić made his first one-man exhibition with Juraj Plančić at the Ulrich Gallery in Zagreb in 1926. He made paintings with social themes, showing the exploitation of the Croatian peasants. In 1929 he got together with the painters Ivan Tabaković
Ivan Tabakovic
Ivan Tabaković was an Austro-Hungarian-born Serbian painter.Born in Arad, Hungary , he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, and afterwards, at the Royal Academy of Applied Arts in Zagreb. In the autumn of 1922, he left for Munich, only temporarily interrupting his studies in Zagreb...
and Oton Postružnik, as well as Leo Junek in Paris. They founded Zemlja ("soil" in Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
), the first Croatian group of artists that promoted Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
. Hegedušić was their ideologue and unofficial leader. Paintings like The Accordionist and The Flood are socially critical and reject purely artistic goals.
In 1930 he founded the Hlebine School, a naive art
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
movement that involved young peasant painters. One of them, Ivan Generalić
Ivan Generalic
Ivan Generalić was a Croatian naïve art painter.Generalić was born in Hlebine near Koprivnica. In elementary school, painting lessons were his greatest joy and as a child he used to earn money...
, reached world fame. Podravina Motifs, published in 1933, was a book combining his drawings with a poetic essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
by Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav 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...
, today considered a masterpiece of Croatian literature
Croatian literature
Croatian literature is a definition given to the compilation of novels, dramas, short stories, poems and other various work of written kind entirely attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats and the Croatian language....
. Krleža would later write a script for a documentary feature about Hegedušić (1962).
Hegedušić started teaching at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
The Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb is a Croatian art school affiliated with the University of Zagreb.The Academy was established in June 1907 as the Royal College for Arts and Crafts and initially had three departments, for sculpting, painting and art education...
in 1936. During the anti-communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
oppression in the 1930s, he was arrested several times. When the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-sponsored Ustaša came to power in 1941, Hegedušić came under the protection of the Archbishop Stepinac
Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Viktor Stepinac , also known as Blessed Aloysius Stepinac, was a Croatian Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to 1960. In 1998 he was declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II....
. He spent the war quietly working on various themes, including religion (numerous sketches for the Calvary fresco in Marija Bistrica
Marija Bistrica
Marija Bistrica is municipality in Krapina-Zagorje County in central Croatia, located on the slopes of the Medvednica mountain in Hrvatsko Zagorje, not far away from Zagreb...
in 1941). When the communist government was installed in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1945, Hegedušić was appointed professor at the Zagreb Academy. In 1950, he founded a "master's studio" there.
Paintings like The Bridegroom, the Ox and the Pump from 1969 are critical of urban life. In the period 1971-73, Hegedušić worked on a large cycle of macabre frescoes for the war memorial of Tjentište
Tjentište
Tjentište is a village in the municipality of Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina....
.
He illustrated books and designed ballet and theater sets. He died in Zagreb.