70. Classical Nude [1930.-1935.]

Milivoj Uzelac (Mostar, 1897 – Cotignac, 1977) left a lasting mark in Croatian art during the interwar period as a painter and printmaker. His art education began at the Temporary School of Art and Crafts in Zagreb in 1912, but he was soon expelled due to student rebellion. Not long after, World War I began and Uzelac was mobilized. After some time at the front, he successfully evaded military duty and from 1915 he educated himself in Prague. He familiarized himself with constructivism, fauvism, cubism, Dadaism, expressionism, and developed a fascination with the works of Paul Cézanne. Upon his return to Zagreb, he brought with him impressions of cosmopolitan innovations and exhibited at the Spring Salon, the most significant modernist manifestation of the 1920s in these regions. Despite rarely visiting his homeland, he maintained contacts and his works were regularly exhibited. He remained in France until the end of his life, occasionally escaping from hectic Paris under the Provençal sun that inspired many artists. From 1930, when he met Rosemarie de La Rayére, his constant model and life partner, he more often retreated to Provence. During this period, Uzelac created in the spirit of neoclassicism, enlightening the color palette and bringing a sense of ease and airiness to his works. In such Provençal settings, Uzelac created works like A Classical Act. This act carries strong mythological connotations, where the wife-model becomes an embodiment of Aphrodite herself. The balance of simultaneous movements of the figure is of an antique nature in its core, as well as its plasticity and volume. Through Uzelac's Classical Act, the living figure becomes a channel for conveying the same transcendental beauty that inspired ancient sculptors centuries earlier.

Dimensions

width 33 cm, height 49 cm

Description

gouache on paper, signed bottom right, in pencil, "Uzelac"

Dating

1930.-1935.

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