Frano Kršinić
Encyclopedia
Frano Kršinić was a renowned Croatian
sculptor. Along with Ivan Meštrović
and Antun Augustinčić
he is considered one of the three most important Croatian sculptors of the 20th century. His most widely known work is the statue of Nikola Tesla
installed at the Niagara Falls State Park
, United States
.
Kršinić was born in 1897 in the village of Lumbarda
on the Adriatic
island of Korčula
in south Croatia
, which was at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
. He was born into a family with a long tradition of stonemasonry
, and he was also trained at the local stonemasonry school before going on to attend the stone-working and masonry school in Hořice
(in present-day Czech Republic
) in 1912. Upon graduation in 1916 he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
, where he studied in the classes of renowned Czech sculptors Josef Václav Myslbek
and Jan Štursa
and graduated in 1920. He then returned to Croatia and settled in Zagreb
, where he worked as a freelance sculptor before becoming a teacher of sculpting at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
in 1924.
By the late 1920s his individual expression was formed, away from the mainstream of Art Deco
and the overwhelming influence of Ivan Meštrović
. In this period his style and sculptural elegance took shape through a number of works defined by soft lines in closed forms such as Awakening, Diana, Young Woman Tending a Rose, Reading, After the Bath and others.
In the following decades Kršinić devoted himself to works marked by finer chiseling in marble, mostly of female art nudes and motherly motifs, such as sculptures titled Meditation, Mother Feeding a Child, etc. In 1947 he was made master sculptor and head of the sculpting workshop at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1948 he became a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
. In his last decades Krsinic created numerous small format sculptures which varied the theme of the young girl, as well as art nudes. Works such as Worry, Sunbathing and Resting are said to represent perfection in the softness of sculpting in marble. He retired from teaching in 1967 and in 1975 he stopped sculpting.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
sculptor. Along with Ivan Meštrović
Ivan Meštrovic
Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor and architect born in Vrpolje, Croatia...
and Antun Augustinčić
Antun Augustincic
Antun Augustinčić was a prominent Croatian sculptor. Along with Ivan Meštrović and Frano Kršinić he is considered one of the three most important Croatian sculptors of the 20th century...
he is considered one of the three most important Croatian sculptors of the 20th century. His most widely known work is the statue of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
installed at the Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara Falls State Park is located in the City of Niagara Falls, New York in Niagara County. The park has the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls, and part of the Canadian Falls....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Kršinić was born in 1897 in the village of Lumbarda
Lumbarda
Lumbarda is a small village and a municipality located on the Eastern Cape of the Island of Korčula in Croatia, 7 kilometers away from the town of Korcula. A road passing through a picturesque area of pine woods and olive groves connects these two places...
on the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
island of Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
in south Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, which was at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. He was born into a family with a long tradition of stonemasonry
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
, and he was also trained at the local stonemasonry school before going on to attend the stone-working and masonry school in Hořice
Horice (Jicín District)
Hořice is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 9,000 inhabitants.Villages Březovice, Doubrava, Chlum, Chvalina, Libonice and Svatogothardská Lhota are administrative parts of Hořice.- People :...
(in present-day Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) in 1912. Upon graduation in 1916 he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
The Academy of Fine Arts, Prague was founded in 1799 and is the Czech Republic's oldest art college. The school offers twelve Master's degree programs and one Doctoral program.-History:...
, where he studied in the classes of renowned Czech sculptors Josef Václav Myslbek
Josef Václav Myslbek
Josef Václav Myslbek was a Czech sculptor credited for founding of the modern Czech sculpting style.Josef grew up poor in a suburb of Prague. His family pushed him to become a shoemaker but he shirked the duty by getting a job with a succession of Czech sculptors...
and Jan Štursa
Jan Štursa
Jan Štursa was a Czech sculptor, one of founders of modern Czech sculpture.- Birth and studies :...
and graduated in 1920. He then returned to Croatia and settled in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, where he worked as a freelance sculptor before becoming a teacher of sculpting at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
The Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb is a Croatian art school affiliated with the University of Zagreb.The Academy was established in June 1907 as the Royal College for Arts and Crafts and initially had three departments, for sculpting, painting and art education...
in 1924.
By the late 1920s his individual expression was formed, away from the mainstream of Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and the overwhelming influence of Ivan Meštrović
Ivan Meštrovic
Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor and architect born in Vrpolje, Croatia...
. In this period his style and sculptural elegance took shape through a number of works defined by soft lines in closed forms such as Awakening, Diana, Young Woman Tending a Rose, Reading, After the Bath and others.
In the following decades Kršinić devoted himself to works marked by finer chiseling in marble, mostly of female art nudes and motherly motifs, such as sculptures titled Meditation, Mother Feeding a Child, etc. In 1947 he was made master sculptor and head of the sculpting workshop at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1948 he became a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
. In his last decades Krsinic created numerous small format sculptures which varied the theme of the young girl, as well as art nudes. Works such as Worry, Sunbathing and Resting are said to represent perfection in the softness of sculpting in marble. He retired from teaching in 1967 and in 1975 he stopped sculpting.
External links
- Official website
- Frano Kršinić short biography at Tate.org.ukTate-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
- Frano Kršinić biography at Korcula.net