87. The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian [1927.]

Maksimilijan Vanka began his art education in 1908 with Bela Čikoš Sesija. From 1911, he studied at the Academy in Brussels, and just four years later, he held his first solo exhibition in the Zagreb Salon Ullrich, subsequently securing a position as a professor at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts. He spent a significant part of his life in the USA, where, among other things, he executed large religious compositions, combining biblical motifs with motifs from popular life. He was noticeably inspired by rural life and folk and church customs in the Croatian highlands. His early painting was influenced by Čikoš’s symbolism and Art Nouveau. Vanka experienced a kind of peak at the end of the 1920s with dramatic compositions of monumental modulations. His painting is recognisable for its stylistic features of expressionism, an exceptional sense for stylisation, the brevity of composing and rare technical virtuosity. Vanka achieves a highly developed sense of motif and colour in his landscapes and marines in watercolour, while a developed sense of psychological characterisation can be read from his extensive portrait oeuvre in oil. In Croatian art history, he has left an indelible mark in his interpretations of landscapes, contemporaries and folk customs, but also dramatic sacred scenes. The picture "Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian" was created in the late 1920s, at the peak of the painter's expressive strength. The naked Saint Sebastian is shown tied to a tree, while in the foreground his martyrs dressed in Roman military armour are drawing arrows. With the pronounced drama of the composition, the energetic and expressive brush stroke, and the emotional component in the brutality of the scene, Vanka is building on centuries of sacred art, while simultaneously giving the scene a modern humanistic message.

References

RAUTER PLANČIĆ, Biserka. "Maximilian Vanka: 1889 - 1963.", Klovićevi dvori Gallery, Zagreb, 2002.

Dimensions

width 83 cm, height 101 cm

Description

tempera and oil on paper, signed lower left, engraved, "M. Vanka, (1)927."

Research information

The work is documented in the exhibition catalog "Maksimilijan Vanka", Narodne Novine Printing Foundation, Zagreb., 1934., cat. no. 66. "St. Sebastian".

Dating

1927.

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.