The photos of the lot are informative and indicative, and cannot provide a highly detailed view of the object from all angles. We recommend a careful physical inspection of the lot before bidding.
The photos of the lot are informative and indicative, and cannot provide a highly detailed view of the object from all angles. We recommend a careful physical inspection of the lot before bidding.
Dušan Džamonja (Strumica, Macedonia, 1928 – Zagreb, 2009) was a Croatian sculptor and academic known for his abstract sculptures and monumental monuments. He graduated from the Academy in Zagreb and was a collaborator in the master workshops of A. Augustinčić and F. Kršinić. During his study trips, he was inspired by Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Syrian sculpture and drew inspiration from H. Moore and other modern artists. He lived and worked in Brussels, Vrsar, and Zagreb. He was noticed by the broader public at the Venice Biennale in 1960. During his lifetime, he had numerous solo exhibitions throughout Europe (Milan, Rome, Klagenfurt, Skopje, London...). He was a regular member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and in 2007 he received the "Vladimir Nazor" award for lifetime achievement. Džamonja is best known for his sculptures. He was taught by Radauš, Kršinić and Augustinčić, whom he did not succeed in his works, but managed to find an authentic sculptural expression. Interestingly, it was just a meeting with I. Meštrović that tipped the scales in his decision to turn professional in sculpture. He worked with bronze, iron, steel, aluminum, concrete, and wood. He also experimented with materials and created a cycle of sculptures using the technique of welding nails and chains and burning wood. Džamonja's opus is recognizable precisely because of the combination of organic and inorganic, traditional and new materials. In the early stages of creation, he condensed and abstracted figurative motifs, and later reduced them to dynamic and symbolic shapes. From the 1960s, he made sculptures with the basic shape of a sphere. Through constant experimentation and moving away from classic procedures, he approached the direction of abstract art - informal. In Vrsar, he built a villa with a studio where he created and exhibited, and in 1981 he opened a park with sculptures to the public. In addition to sculpting, he also drew and painted. He often created drawings as studies for sculptures, but also independent graphic works that were exhibited at exhibitions. On the oil on canvas titled Deer Motif, dark, earthy colors of the base on which a bright abstract structure of irregular elements is located dominate. The painting features sharp, star-shaped shapes with a metallic shine, typical of his style, especially in sculptures where he uses metallic structures that reflect light in a special way. He often uses abstract shapes in his works, with an emphasis on geometric structures and the organicity of the form. The painting has a dark, almost apocalyptic atmosphere, with an emphasis on contrasts between light and shadow.
Dimensions
width 141.5 cm, height 55 cm
Description
oil on canvas mounted on hardboard
Dating
1958.-1959.
PROVENANCE
gift from the Džamonja family;
the last 50 years part of the Džamonja extended family's collection.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For clarifications regarding the bidding procedure, hammer price costs, guarantee, payment, and collection terms for the winning lot, we recommend carefully reading/re-reading the Bidding Regulations.
For additional information regarding the lot and the auction, please contact the Art Consultants Department.
Detalii
Dušan Džamonja (Strumica, Macedonia, 1928 – Zagreb, 2009) was a Croatian sculptor and academic known for his abstract sculptures and monumental monuments. He graduated from the Academy in Zagreb and was a collaborator in the master workshops of A. Augustinčić and F. Kršinić. During his study trips, he was inspired by Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Syrian sculpture and drew inspiration from H. Moore and other modern artists. He lived and worked in Brussels, Vrsar, and Zagreb. He was noticed by the broader public at the Venice Biennale in 1960. During his lifetime, he had numerous solo exhibitions throughout Europe (Milan, Rome, Klagenfurt, Skopje, London...). He was a regular member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and in 2007 he received the "Vladimir Nazor" award for lifetime achievement. Džamonja is best known for his sculptures. He was taught by Radauš, Kršinić and Augustinčić, whom he did not succeed in his works, but managed to find an authentic sculptural expression. Interestingly, it was just a meeting with I. Meštrović that tipped the scales in his decision to turn professional in sculpture. He worked with bronze, iron, steel, aluminum, concrete, and wood. He also experimented with materials and created a cycle of sculptures using the technique of welding nails and chains and burning wood. Džamonja's opus is recognizable precisely because of the combination of organic and inorganic, traditional and new materials. In the early stages of creation, he condensed and abstracted figurative motifs, and later reduced them to dynamic and symbolic shapes. From the 1960s, he made sculptures with the basic shape of a sphere. Through constant experimentation and moving away from classic procedures, he approached the direction of abstract art - informal. In Vrsar, he built a villa with a studio where he created and exhibited, and in 1981 he opened a park with sculptures to the public. In addition to sculpting, he also drew and painted. He often created drawings as studies for sculptures, but also independent graphic works that were exhibited at exhibitions. On the oil on canvas titled Deer Motif, dark, earthy colors of the base on which a bright abstract structure of irregular elements is located dominate. The painting features sharp, star-shaped shapes with a metallic shine, typical of his style, especially in sculptures where he uses metallic structures that reflect light in a special way. He often uses abstract shapes in his works, with an emphasis on geometric structures and the organicity of the form. The painting has a dark, almost apocalyptic atmosphere, with an emphasis on contrasts between light and shadow.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For clarifications regarding the bidding procedure, hammer price costs, guarantee, payment, and collection terms for the winning lot, we recommend carefully reading/re-reading the Bidding Regulations.
For additional information regarding the lot and the auction, please contact the Art Consultants Department.
Dimensions
width 141.5 cm, height 55 cm
Description
oil on canvas mounted on hardboard
Dating
1958.-1959.
PROVENANCE
gift from the Džamonja family;
the last 50 years part of the Džamonja extended family's collection.
