Ivan Mestrovic
A short walk outside the central core of Split, you will find Ivan Meštrović’s Gallery. Housed in a beautiful estate along the Dalmatian Coast, the palatial property with gorgeous sea views was also his home for many years. Before coming to Split, we had never heard of the Croatian sculptor, or were familiar with his work, even though you can find his pieces in museums and churches all over the world.
Luckily, good friends of ours who live in Split recommended that we go to the gallery, and we were grateful they did. We were absolutely blown away. His work is not only incredible, it is vast and diverse, and the common theme you get from his work is emotion. It exudes from each sculpture, like being stuck in time, trying to convey a message to the viewer. It truly is an amazing gallery to experience.
A Prolific Career
Croatia has a rich history of amazing sculptors, but none more so than Ivan Meštrović. A marble cutter’s apprentice at the age of 13, by the age of 16, Meštrović was studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he was influenced by the Vienna Secessionists. It was during this time he also met and became good friends with Auguste Rodin.
After World War I, Meštrović returned to Croatia and began a long and fruitful period of sculpture and pedagogical work. In 1942 he emigrated to Italy, and then to the United States in 1947. Meštrović was a professor of sculpture at Syracuse University, and later at the University of Notre Dame until his death. Many of his works can still be seen on the South Bend campus today.
Meštrović had enormous pride and love for his country and fellow countrymen. He ended up donating the majority of his work to Croatia.
Rub the Toe and Make a Wish
When our friends heard about how much we loved the gallery, they said we had to see Gregory of Nin’s Big Toe. Sounding quite odd, but having not been led astray before, we were onboard.
Right outside the Golden Gate of Diocletian’s Palace, there is a statue of Gregory of Nin, or Grgur Ninski, sculpted by none other than Ivan Meštrović. Gregory was the bishop of Nin in the 10th century, and standing up to the pope at the time, he introduced the Croatian language into religious services. This not only benefited Croatian language and culture but also strengthened Christianity within the Croatian kingdom. It is customary in Split to rub Gregory’s toe and make a wish that will soon come true!