Page 172 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

170  CRO A TIA AREA B Y AREA

d Gallery of Old Masters
Galerija starih majstora

In 1880 Josip Juraj Strossmayer, the rich and
powerful Bishop of Ðakovo and one of the leading
proponents of a pan-Slav movement, had this
gallery built to house the Academy of Arts and
Sciences and the Gallery of Old Masters, to which
he donated his own impressive collection of about
250 works of art. Virgin with Child and St Francis
and St Bernardine of Siena
The Neo-Renaissance building has a large internal This painting is one of the few
porticoed courtyard. Nine rooms on the upper floor works by Bartolomeo Caporali
house around 200 works from the major European (c.1420–1505) to be found
schools from the 14th to the 19th century. Behind outside Perugia in Italy.
the building is a large statue of Bishop Strossmayer
sculpted by Ivan Meštrović in 1926.

Susanna and the Elders
The three figures depicted in the Second floor
painting stand out against the landscape
in the background. The faces of the two
old men are very expressive; it is as
though they are revived by gazing
at the beautiful Susanna. The artist,
Master of the Prodigal Son,
demonstrates great technical
skill and vivid use of colour.

Gallery Guide
The gallery is on the second floor
of the building. Exhibits include
works by important Italian,
German, Flemish and French
masters, representing schools
and artistic trends from the
14th to the 19th century. Before Madame Recamier
visiting the gallery, note, in the This portrait by Antoine Jean Gros
entrance hall, the Baška Tablet, (1771–1835) was probably painted
one of the oldest documents of around 1825. Madame Recamier was
Croat culture (11th century), a leading figure of some notoriety in
written in Glagolitic script. Parisian high society of that time.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp230–31 and pp245–7

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