View from Atelier Window, Cavtat I thought I might do an occasional blog piece about museums/interesting places I've visited that may not always get the attention they deserve. I mean, there's little or no point at all in me singing the praises of really well known tourist spots is there? Let's face it, finding out about somewhere that's well-known is a bit like trying to get a book about one of the top-twenty artists - basically, just pop along to any remaindered bookshop and I can almost guarantee they'll have books on Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Gaugin, Cezanne, Rodin, Vermeer and all the other usual suspects. However, the work of so many exceptional artists is often astonishingly badly represented on our high streets.
How about the work of Vlaho Bukovac for instance? Unless you've been to Dubrovnik you've quite possibly never heard of him. His family home was only sixteen km from Dubrovnik in the beautiful coastal town of Cavtat. He was born there in 1855 and from his earliest years showed a definite precociousness as an artist. In 1877 he went to Paris where he was swiftly accepted as a talent. He travelled widely in his lifetime, however Bukovac retained his link with Cavtat all his life. He took a post as professor of fine Art in Prague in his late forties and spent the final twenty odd years of his life working there before his death in 1922. He was prolific and produced over 2000 works of art in his lifetime.
How about the work of Vlaho Bukovac for instance? Unless you've been to Dubrovnik you've quite possibly never heard of him. His family home was only sixteen km from Dubrovnik in the beautiful coastal town of Cavtat. He was born there in 1855 and from his earliest years showed a definite precociousness as an artist. In 1877 he went to Paris where he was swiftly accepted as a talent. He travelled widely in his lifetime, however Bukovac retained his link with Cavtat all his life. He took a post as professor of fine Art in Prague in his late forties and spent the final twenty odd years of his life working there before his death in 1922. He was prolific and produced over 2000 works of art in his lifetime.
Two Nudes From His Time in Paris During his life his work attracted the interest of a couple of Northern British Industrialists, the LeDoux and Fox families of Liverpool and Harrogate. The National Museum, Liverpool and the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate still have examples of his work which you can see by following this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/vlaho-bukovac
There is however a feast of Bukovac's work in various churches and galleries around Dubrovnik. It's possible to see some very good paintings of his at the excellent Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik. But for my money, and best of all, is to see his work in his own charming house at Cavtat where you can enjoy a large number of his paintings from just about every period of his life (even childhood doodles!). His painting ability was really exceptional, somehow managing to combine a light impressionistic touch with an almost photographic quality.
There is however a feast of Bukovac's work in various churches and galleries around Dubrovnik. It's possible to see some very good paintings of his at the excellent Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik. But for my money, and best of all, is to see his work in his own charming house at Cavtat where you can enjoy a large number of his paintings from just about every period of his life (even childhood doodles!). His painting ability was really exceptional, somehow managing to combine a light impressionistic touch with an almost photographic quality.
A Late Self-Portrait of Vlaho Bukovac If you're not planning a Croatian holiday in the near future, then why not search images for Vlaho Bukovac on Google?
Definitely worth a look!
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