References

*Vinko Zlamalik, B. Csikos Sessia, Modern Gallery JAZU, 1904., Zagreb, page 14

oil on canvas mounted on plywood, 50 x 34.5 cm, signed, dated and located in the bottom left, in white, "B ČIKOŠ-SESIA NEW-YORK 1902"

Bela Čikoš Sesija (Osijek, 1864. - Zagreb, 1931.) is a key figure in Croatian Secessionist and Symbolist painting. After being educated in Vienna and having success in Zagreb, a series of unfortunate circumstances prompted Čikoš Sesija to seek success outside his homeland and he spent 1902 and 1903 in the United States with Robert Auer. His American period is known for a series of works with Ancient and Christian mythological themes such as "In the Temple". The work "Vestalka" which shows a pensive girl in ancient robes sitting in an empty temple, probably also belongs to this group. These mythological themes were treated "...with many decorative details meticulously executed with an emphasis on appeal."* A move to the United States did not bring the expected success, and Sesija returned to Zagreb where he founded a private school in Zagreb with M. Cl. Crnčić, which later became the Academy of Fine Arts.

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