17. Woman's Head [1967.]

Petar Smajić (Dolac Donji, 1910 – Ernestinovo, 1985) was a self-taught Croatian sculptor. Already as a boy, he began crafting objects from wood for everyday use, which he sold. His talent was recognized by Slavan Vidović, the son of Emanuel Vidović, who commissioned works and organized the first Smajić exhibition. With the creation of these commissioned works, Smajić's first creative period began – the Dalmatian period. It is considered an exceptionally quality period characterized by simplicity and purity of form, as well as smaller-scale sculptures. He carved everyday motifs, human figures, heads, animals, and Biblical scenes in wood. Looking for work, he moved with his family to Slavonia in 1941, where he stopped creating. However, in 1952 the Peasant Art Gallery was established in Zagreb, exhibiting some of Smajić's works. The public and critics became interested in him again, so he returned to sculpture, marking the beginning of his Slavonian period. In this period, he emphasizes the static nature of the figures and achieves plastic purity. He exhibited throughout Croatia, as well as abroad. Along with several amateur sculptors, he founded the Colony of Naive Sculptors in Ernestinovo in 1973.

Dimensions

depth 13 cm, width 10 cm, height 25.5 cm

Description

wood, signed and dated at the bottom of the base, "S.P. Smajić Petar, (19)67"

Dating

1967.

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