90. Murve [1950-ih]

Ante Kaštelančić (1911 – 1989) was a painter with a pronounced coloration, which followed him throughout his opus, perhaps most pronounced in the pictures of verticals that drew inspiration from scenes of moored ship masts. After schooling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, he perfected his skills in Paris, with André Lhote. There he had the opportunity to sharpen the coloristic inclination that was smoldering in him, and to learn how to use it most effectively as a basis for compositions of synthesized forms. On his canvas from the 1950s, we see clear echoes of the Parisian painting fashion between the two wars. Kaštelančić plays with coloristic bravura balancing parts of the picture in a coloristically intense and dynamic game. The most obvious is the balance of the yellow base and red trees, which are partially indicated by thicker, black, elegantly rounded lines. They sometimes border the depicted houses. Apart from making the composition more well-structured, these black lines, in contrast with the emphasized coloration of the painting, contribute to the impression of pervasive liveliness, a danced-out moment, which (due to the name of the painting) is associated with a vision and experience of life on the Mediterranean. The painting's dynamics are further contributed by other coloristic accents – the pink, present on the houses on the right and the slightly more discretely present green, whose strokes deepen some house openings. The rest of the houses are painted white, emphasizing the overall impression of atmospheric luminance or sunny day and the intense radiance of colors. This painting is a testament to Kaštelančić's understanding of the language of painting as playful, rich, and articulate coloristic buzz. FG

Dimensions

width 99 cm, height 80 cm

Description

oil on canvas, signed bottom right, in black, "A. KAŠTELANČIĆ"

Research information

One of the variants of the work (Mulberries I, 1953., oil on canvas, 64 x 76.5 cm) was exhibited at the exhibition Ante Kaštelančić – Paintings 1935. – 1972., Modern Gallery, Zagreb, 1972. One of the variants of the work (Mulberries II, 1958., oil on canvas, 80.2 x 97 cm) was reproduced in the monograph Ante Kaštelančić, Tonko Maroević, Municipal Authority Podstrana and Art Academy Split, 2000. One of the variants of the work ("small" Mulberries II, 1958., oil on cardboard, 21 x 26 cm) was exhibited at the monographic exhibition Ante Kaštelančić in Art gallery Split (June 11th - July 11th, 2011.) and Art Pavilion Zagreb (September – October 2011.) and is mentioned in the exhibition catalog. We thank Mrs. Sabina Kaštelančić (Ante Kaštelančić's daughter) for providing additional information and literature related to this work.

Dating

1950-ih

PROVENANCE

The work was created in the 1950s as part of Kaštelančić's recognizable Mulberry cycle, which includes several variants and formats from the early 1950s to the end of the decade. According to available data, this painting was in the historical collection of Dr. Ivo Gabelić and Matilda Gabelić, and later it was found in a well-known Zagreb collection.

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