JOZO KLJAKOVIĆ

(Solin, Mar 10, 1889 – Zagreb, Oct 1, 1969)

Croatian painter Jozo Kljaković was born in Solin, in 1889. He completed his primary education in Solin and went on to attend the gymnasium in Split, where he began to study painting at the studio of Emanuel Vidović. He continued his education invisual arts with Franjo Pavičić in Zagreb, subsequently enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (under Vlaho Bukovac). His first participation in a group exhibition came in 1910 in Zagreb, where his work was exhibited alongside those of the Medulić Group, while his works were exhibited together with those of renowned artist Ivan Meštrović at the International Exhibition of Art in Romein 1911. After Prague, he left for the Institutodelle belle arti in Rome, followed by a three-year stay with Ferdinand Hodler in Geneva, staring in 1917. In 1920, he continued his studies of fresco painting with Marcel-Lenoir at AcadémieRanson in Paris. He socialized with representatives of the French avant-garde movement and developed a friendship with Croatian artists Milivoj Uzelac, Sava Šumanović and Ljubo Babić. Upon returning to Zagreb in 1923, he became a professor at the Royal College for Arts and Crafts. The 1920s proved to be a period of success and large commissions, while in 1925 he won the Grand Prix for the frescoes and the vitrage on the front of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia Pavilion at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. During his time in Zagreb, he painted two significant cycles in the fresco technique – a cycle of sacral themes for St. Mark’s Church and a secularly themed cycle intended for the interior of the Bank of Slavonia. He painted both the Dobrota Cycle (the church of St. Eustace) and the piece at the Chamber of Trades and Craftsin the oil on canvas technique. He continues to advance his artistic career in 1930s, becoming the Head Curator of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb in 1938.

In 1941, during the period of the Independent State of Croatia, Kljaković is arrested, following accusations that, together with Ivan Meštrović, he was planning to act against NDH and the Axis powers. In prison, where he spent some time with Ivan Meštrović, he suffers his first bout of blindness. On the appealof numerous persons from public and political life, he was released and placed under house arrest in 1942. His painting The Flagellation was included in the Croatian selection for the XXIII Venice Biennale, while in 1943 he left for Rome in order to work on the mosaics for the Pontifical Croatian College of St. Jerome. He remained in Rome until 1947 when, due to the political situation in Croatia and his disagreement with the existing regime, he decided to leave for Buenos Aires. Before leaving, he published a small monograph, which included the reproductions of all of his works and a foreword by the famous metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirica.

He organized a solo exhibition at the Müller Gallery, the biggest art gallery in Buenos Aires, and published a catalogue with the foreword written by Ivan Meštrović. During his time in Buenos Aires, in addition to painting, he also wrote articles, published in all the major emigration newspapers. He expressed his ideas and related his turbulent biography in the volume U suvremenom kaosu, published by the author’s friends (Naklada autorovih prijatelja) in 1952, and the book Krvavival, in 1954. Unable to adjust to life in Argentina, he returned to Rome in 1956. After 25 years of absence, he finally returned to Croatia in 1968. Following the example of his friend Ivan Meštrović, he bequeathed his house at No 4 Rokov perivoj in Zagreb, along with the accompanying artwork, to the City of Zagreb. He died on Oct 1, 1969, at the age of 80 and is buried at the Mirogoj Cemetery Arcades in Zagreb.

During his artistic career, he produced a great number of paintings in the technique of oil on canvas. He exhibited in numerous cities around the world, mostly in group, but also in solo exhibitions, among others in London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Geneva, Philadelphia, New York, Barcelona, Berlin, Vienna and Buenos Aires. Religious, historical and his native land are his most common themes but he also painted portraits of important figures. His works also include caricature, posters, book illustrations and scenography.