Branislav Dešković (1883–1939) was a

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, best known for his expressive animal sculptures, especially his hunting dogs. He is considered the first Impressionist sculptor in Croatia.

Biography

Branislav Dešković was born in

Pučišća Pučišća () is a coastal town and a municipality on the island of Brač in Croatia. It is often listed as one of the prettiest villages in Europe. It is known for its white limestone and beautiful bay. The town has a population of 1,351 (2021 ce ...

on the island of

Brač Brač is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide.Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

. A contemporary review of the first Dalmatian Art Exhibition of 1908 in ''The Studio'' said "Branislav Deskovic's mastership in animal sculpture was proved by his works The Draught Horse, The Ass, and The Dog. Two Old Ones is the best of all his compositions, and has been exhibited in the "Salon" of Paris, where it gained much approbation." In the summer of 1910, Dešković spent time in Sarajevo. There he was attracted by the Bosnian figures, and later showed several outstanding sculptures for example Two Elders, and Bust of a Turk. He was an avid hunter, and this was reflected in his artistic work. He is best known for his animal sculptures, particularly hunting dogs. During a stay in Sarajevo in 1910, he was inspired by Bosnian figures, which showed in several of his sculptures. He exhibited with the Medulić group in 1908 in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

, 1909 in Ljubljana, and 1910 in Zagreb. He held his first solo exhibit in 1910 in Sarajevo. During the First World War, he volunteered in Montenegro, and later in Rome, Geneva and Paris. From 1921 he lived in Split. The art gallery in Bol, on Brač, the Galerija umjetnina "Branislav Dešković is named after him, and much of his work is on display there. He died in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

on 20 August 1939.

Legacy

Although Pučišča and Brač have a long history of stone-working, Dešković chose bronze as his medium. He worked in stone, clay and bronze, and is considered the first Impressionist Croatian sculptor. Dešković is best known for his animal

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s. A keen hunter in his youth, he portrayed hounds from his memory of working with the animals, in an expressive

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

style. He also produced some fine portraits and a few large, heroic sculptures. Carried along by the motto of the Zagreb exhibition "Despite Unheroic Times", Dešković created the monumental sculptures Prince Marko (''Kraljević Marko''), and Victory of Freedom (''Pobjeda slobode''), which were unusual expressions of his political views. His career was cut short by illness, and his collection of works is not extensive. HRT, Croatian Radio/Television featured Branislav Dešković in the program segment than can be seen here (in Croatian)
HRT Video:Kipar Branislav Dešković

Works

Examples of his work can be seen online at Galerija Remek-Djela. * Two Old Men/Two Elders (''Dva starca'') * Draught Horse (''Tegleći konj'') * Rest (''Odmor'') * Scratching Dog (''Pas koji se češe'') * Bust of a Turk (''Poprsje Turčina'') * Prince Marko (''Kraljević Marko'') * Victory of Freedom (''Pobjeda slobode'')

Exhibitions

During his lifetime, he exhibited in Split, Zagreb and Ljubljana

Solo exhibitions

Recent exhibitions of his work include: * 2011 Galerija Antun Augustinčić,

Klanjec Klanjec () is a small town in northwestern Croatia, in the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje on the border with Slovenia. History In the late 19th and early 20th century, Klanjec was a district capital in Varaždin County (former), Varaždin County of t ...

* 1983 Gallery of Fine Arts, Split * 1966 Gallery of Fine Arts, Split

Public collections

His work can be found in the following public collections Croatia * Gliptoteka,

Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (; , HAZU) is the national academy of Croatia. HAZU was founded under the patronage of the Croatian bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer under the name Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (, JAZU) since its ...

, Zagreb * Gallery of Fine Arts, Split * Art Gallery Branislav Dešković (''Galerija umjetnina Branislav Dešković''), Bol, island of Brač, Croatia US *

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

, Washington, DC

References

Bibliography

* Posmrtna izložba Branimira Deškovića Author:Cvito Fisković. Published by Hrvatsko društvo umjetnosti, Podružnica Split 1990 * Branislav Dešković Author:Duško Kečkemet. Publisher: Supetar : Brački zbornik; Zagreb : Grafički zavod Hrvatske, 1977 {{DEFAULTSORT:Deskovic, Branislav 1883 births 1939 deaths Brač People from Pučišća 19th-century Croatian sculptors 20th-century Croatian sculptors