"The little music of Ivan Petrovic" - Gazette Drouot

Ivan MESTROVIC 1883-1962 Attribué à
Ivan MESTROVIC 1883-1962 Attribué à
La Femme à la harpe

Venerated in his country and recognized worldwide, this great Croatian sculptor of the twentieth century is rarely presented in France. Let us bet that with this high-relief which is attributed to him, he will regain a deserved place in the hearts of collectors.

The female figure with half closed eyes, and as if fascinated by the sounds of her harp, remembers the symbolist aesthetics; this is further emphasized by the «S» line of the shape, with curves and countermeasures all in roundness.Its supposed author, Ivan Mestrovic, one of the greatest modern Croatian sculptors, would have imagined it around 1932, which would rather inscribe it in the return to the ancient that marks the beginning decade. If this monoxyl high-relief (because carved in a single thick piece of wood), of a powerful direct size, does not bear a signature, it is known two replicas that allow to resituate it in the work of the artist. Thus, a woman with the same harp, but in white marble, can be admired under the ionic portico of the Mestrovic gallery in Split, Croatia; this is the museum dedicated to the visual artist, settled in the sumptuous villa he had built before the last war. Another copy of the work is kept by the National Modern Art Museum, at the Centre Georges-Pompidou, under the inventory number «JP 87 S». This version turns out to be a large bronze relief, a direct purchase from the French state to the artist in 1932. It was rediscovered between 2013 and 2015, presented in the new hanging of the MNAM collections, entitled «Modernités plurielles». Following the expert Marc Lallement, we can therefore ask ourselves if our panel would not be the preparatory work for these two listed pieces.

An internationally recognized artist

Ivan Petrovic Femme a la harpe

Born into a modest family in Vrpolje, Slavonia, Ivan Mestrovic – the subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – studies sculpture from 1901, at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and from then on he exhibits in the manifestations of the Secession, of which he becomes a member in 1906. Two years later, he is Paris and starts a friendship with Auguste Rodin; the latter said he was strongly impressed by the work of the Croatian, presented at the Autumn Salon, and even described it as «the most important phenomenon among the sculptors of his time». Mestrovic gives it back to him, and in 1914 directs "L'Artiste au travail, portrait de Rodin"… It must be said that the French master inspired him as early as 1905, as the expressionist figures of his Fountain of Life attest, adorning today a square in Zagreb. As for Antoine Bourdelle, he is not without influence in his evolution towards heroic monumentalism, serving, in particular, a Christian and mystical theme.

The most imposing example of this vein remains the statue of Gregory of Nin (1929), displayed in a park of Split. Returning to his native country in 1922, Mestrovic becomes a true national glory, creating strong works, but also taking an interest in architecture and teaching. He also makes himself known abroad, with exhibitions all over the world, notably in Paris in 1933, and especially in the United States. It is in this country that he will end his days, leaving many important pieces, like the two Indian Horsemen in bronze, flanking the entrance of Grant Park in Chicago since 1928.

Philippe DUFOUR

Attributed to Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962), La Femme à la harpe, high relief carved panel, 170 x 55 cm. Estimate: 25,000/30,000 €

August Thursday 15 - Besch Cannes Auction OVV. Marc Lallement

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