Marijan Trepše
Encyclopedia
Marijan Trepše was a Croatian painter, graphic artist and set designer, considered to be one of the key figures in Croatian art in the early part of the 20th century. In 1919 the seventh exhibition of the Spring Salon opened at the Crafts school in Zagreb. Exhibiting for the first time together, Milivoj Uzelac, Vilko Gecan
, Marijan Trepše and Vladimir Varlaj dominated the exhibit with their expressionist works. The Prague Four, as they became known, had returned to Zagreb that year from their studies at the Prague academy and the work of these young painters brought in new expressionist ideas that were to dominate the Croatian art scene of the 1920s.
Together with Gecan, Uzelac and Varlaj, with whom he was later to exhibit as the Group of Four, Marijan Trepše represents the link through which Miroslav Kraljević
’s style evolved into expressionism. Trepše’s own art moved from early expressionist and classicist inspirations to more open colour and freedom of gesture. His early work was characterised by interiors with figures, generally featuring a single woman. After 1933, he created a series of landscapes from around Zagreb and motifs from the south, and worked as a set designer for the Croatian National Theatre
.
. His studies continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague with Max Švabinský
, then from 1920-1922, in Paris, at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière
.
From 1919, Marijan Trepše exhibited his work at the Zagreb Spring Salon, and later as part of the Group of Four (Gecan, Trepše, Uzelac, Varlaj). In 1926 he was awarded a gold medal for art in an international exhibition in Philadelphia.
From 1925 until his retirement in 1956 he worked as a set designer at the Croatian National Theatre
, and between 1926 and 1931 he taught at the National Crafts School in Zagreb. From 1950, he worked with the Zadar and Zagreb Puppet Theatres.
Marijan Trepše died 4 October 1964 in Zagreb.
and Symbolism
of his teacher. After graduating from Zagreb, in the autumn of 1918 he moved to Prague, where Milivoj Uzelac had been since 1915. Vladimir Varlaj and Vilko Gecan
also arrived in Prague, meeting up with Ivo Režek and Frano Kršinić
to make the city an important reference for Croatian modern art. From there, they picked up the new ideas of secessionism and expressionism, which they brought back to Croatian art.
An important influence on Trepše and his contemporaries was the artist Miroslav Kraljević, who had died in 1913, aged only 27. While Kraljević had depicted wealthy gentlemen in the company of courtesans in Paris, Trepše and his fellow artists in Prague showed working people. A typical scene in Trepše's paintings had sombre men in hats sitting around a wooden table in a bar, playing cards and drinking, some fallen asleep where they sat. The place is obscurely lit, full of smoke, and there is usually just one woman in the company.
A large retrospective exhibit of his works opened in 2010 in the Art Pavilion
, Zagreb. It included works in oils, watercolour and prints, as well as some of his original designs for theatre sets. More comprehensive than the previous retrospective held at the same venue in 1975, the exhibit provided the opportunity for a new reading of Trepše's work. In fact, much of his work was not generally known to the public, and this was the first showing for some of his best works. According to the art historian Zvonko Matković, who was responsible for organizing the exhibit, Marijan Trepše belongs among the most important Croatian artists of the first half of the 20th century. He was one of those who revived the style of Miroslav Kraljević, and took it closer to expressionism. Together with his contemporaries (Uzelac, Gecan and Varlaj) he brought important changes to the Spring Salon, a key part of the development of art in Croatia between the World wars.
Trepše's output was diverse. He is considered one of the best graphic artists in the years immediately after World War I. In the early 1920s in Paris, classicist tendencies had emerged, with the rounded solid forms which can be seen in much of Trepše's art. Derain and Picasso were important references of the time. In the mid-1920s Trepše began to work in stained glass for which he received many commissions. His most important work Calvary (Golgota), which in 1935 was placed in the chapel of the suffering of Jesus (Trpećeg Isusa) in Zagreb. In 1925 he began work at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, at a time when set design was developing in exciting new directions.
Croatia
Serbia
Vilko Gecan
Vilko Gecan was a Croatian artist, influential in the Zagreb modern art scene of the 1920s and 30s. He is best known for his expressionist paintings and drawings, and for his contributions to the avantgarde magazine Zenit. He showed his work in many solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad...
, Marijan Trepše and Vladimir Varlaj dominated the exhibit with their expressionist works. The Prague Four, as they became known, had returned to Zagreb that year from their studies at the Prague academy and the work of these young painters brought in new expressionist ideas that were to dominate the Croatian art scene of the 1920s.
Together with Gecan, Uzelac and Varlaj, with whom he was later to exhibit as the Group of Four, Marijan Trepše represents the link through which Miroslav Kraljević
Miroslav Kraljevic
Miroslav Kraljević was a Croatian painter, printmaker and sculptor, active in the early part of the 20th century. He is one of the founders of modern art in Croatia....
’s style evolved into expressionism. Trepše’s own art moved from early expressionist and classicist inspirations to more open colour and freedom of gesture. His early work was characterised by interiors with figures, generally featuring a single woman. After 1933, he created a series of landscapes from around Zagreb and motifs from the south, and worked as a set designer for the Croatian National Theatre
Croatian National Theatre
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb , commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The theatre evolved out of the first city theatre built in 1836 housed in the present-day Old City Hall...
.
Biography
Marijan Trepše was born in Zagreb on 25 March 1887. He attended the High School for Arts Crafts in Zagreb (1914-1918), where he studied under Bela Čikoš SesijaBela Cikoš Sesija
Bela Čikoš Sesija ; was a Croatian painter of historical and allegorical scenes at the turn of the 20th century...
. His studies continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague with Max Švabinský
Max Švabinský
Max Švabinský was a Czech painter, draughtsman, graphic artist, and professor in Academy of Graphic Arts in Prague. Švabinský is considered to be one of the more notable artists in the history of Czech painting and produced significant work during the first half of the 20th century...
, then from 1920-1922, in Paris, at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière
Académie de la Grande Chaumière
The Académie de la Grande Chaumière is an art school in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France. The school was founded in 1902 by the Swiss Martha Stettler , who refused to teach the strict academic rules of painting of the École des Beaux-Arts. It opened the way to the "Art Indépendant"...
.
From 1919, Marijan Trepše exhibited his work at the Zagreb Spring Salon, and later as part of the Group of Four (Gecan, Trepše, Uzelac, Varlaj). In 1926 he was awarded a gold medal for art in an international exhibition in Philadelphia.
From 1925 until his retirement in 1956 he worked as a set designer at the Croatian National Theatre
Croatian National Theatre
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb , commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre located in Zagreb, owned and operated by the Ministry of Culture. The theatre evolved out of the first city theatre built in 1836 housed in the present-day Old City Hall...
, and between 1926 and 1931 he taught at the National Crafts School in Zagreb. From 1950, he worked with the Zadar and Zagreb Puppet Theatres.
Marijan Trepše died 4 October 1964 in Zagreb.
Legacy
Trepše is one of those artists who achieved his best work in his youth. Although Trepše was educated at the Zagreb Academy of Bela Čikoš Sesija, his early work shows no traces of the Art NouveauArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
and Symbolism
Symbolism
Symbolism is the applied use of symbols. It is a representation that carries a particular meaning. It is a device in literature where an object represents an idea.A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself....
of his teacher. After graduating from Zagreb, in the autumn of 1918 he moved to Prague, where Milivoj Uzelac had been since 1915. Vladimir Varlaj and Vilko Gecan
Vilko Gecan
Vilko Gecan was a Croatian artist, influential in the Zagreb modern art scene of the 1920s and 30s. He is best known for his expressionist paintings and drawings, and for his contributions to the avantgarde magazine Zenit. He showed his work in many solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad...
also arrived in Prague, meeting up with Ivo Režek and Frano Kršinić
Frano Kršinić
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...
to make the city an important reference for Croatian modern art. From there, they picked up the new ideas of secessionism and expressionism, which they brought back to Croatian art.
An important influence on Trepše and his contemporaries was the artist Miroslav Kraljević, who had died in 1913, aged only 27. While Kraljević had depicted wealthy gentlemen in the company of courtesans in Paris, Trepše and his fellow artists in Prague showed working people. A typical scene in Trepše's paintings had sombre men in hats sitting around a wooden table in a bar, playing cards and drinking, some fallen asleep where they sat. The place is obscurely lit, full of smoke, and there is usually just one woman in the company.
A large retrospective exhibit of his works opened in 2010 in the Art Pavilion
Art Pavilion
The Art Pavilion in Zagreb is an art gallery in Zagreb, Croatia. The Pavilion is located in the Lower Town area of the city, south of Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square and just north of the King Tomislav Square with the Main Train Station...
, Zagreb. It included works in oils, watercolour and prints, as well as some of his original designs for theatre sets. More comprehensive than the previous retrospective held at the same venue in 1975, the exhibit provided the opportunity for a new reading of Trepše's work. In fact, much of his work was not generally known to the public, and this was the first showing for some of his best works. According to the art historian Zvonko Matković, who was responsible for organizing the exhibit, Marijan Trepše belongs among the most important Croatian artists of the first half of the 20th century. He was one of those who revived the style of Miroslav Kraljević, and took it closer to expressionism. Together with his contemporaries (Uzelac, Gecan and Varlaj) he brought important changes to the Spring Salon, a key part of the development of art in Croatia between the World wars.
Trepše's output was diverse. He is considered one of the best graphic artists in the years immediately after World War I. In the early 1920s in Paris, classicist tendencies had emerged, with the rounded solid forms which can be seen in much of Trepše's art. Derain and Picasso were important references of the time. In the mid-1920s Trepše began to work in stained glass for which he received many commissions. His most important work Calvary (Golgota), which in 1935 was placed in the chapel of the suffering of Jesus (Trpećeg Isusa) in Zagreb. In 1925 he began work at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, at a time when set design was developing in exciting new directions.
Paintings
- Olive Tree (Maslinik), 1919
- Calvary (Golgota), 1920
- Portrait of Krleža (Portret Krleže), 1920
- Portrait of a Boy (Portret dječaka), 1920
- Self-portrait (Autoportret), around 1920
- Spring (U prirodi), 1921
- Ilich Square (Ilički trg), 1921
- Card Player (Kartaš), 1920/21
- Woman Before Sleeping (Žena prije spavanja), 1921/22
- Woman with Jar (Žena s vrčem), 1926
- Reclining Woman (Žena koja leži)
- Woman with Fan (Dama s lepezom), 1930
- Woman with Cat (Žena s mačkom), 1931
- Village (Selo), 1930s
Graphical illustrations
- From Tales of Hoffman (Iz Hoffmannovih priča), 1919
- From Cabaret (Iz cabareta), 1919
- Murder (Ubojstvo), 1919
- Thunderbird (Grom), 1919
- The Afflicted (Bijednici), 1919
- Samson and Delila (Samson i Dalila), 1919
- We Want Barrabas (Hoćemo Barabu), 1919
Theatrical set designs
Sets and costumes for National Theatre productions, including- Calderon's Gospođe Đavolice, 1925
- Johnny plays (Johnny svira), 1928
- Maruf's H. Rabauda (1929)
- Bone (Koštana), 1931
- Samson and Delila (Samson i Dalila), 1937
- Stonemason (Kamenik) 1946/1947
- Equinox (Ekvinocij), 1950/1951
Exhibitions
During his lifetime, Marijan Trepše exhibited in the Zagreb Spring Salon, and with the Group of Four.Solo exhibitions
Recent exhibitions of his work include:- 2010-2011 Marijan Trepše retrospektiva, Art PavilionArt PavilionThe Art Pavilion in Zagreb is an art gallery in Zagreb, Croatia. The Pavilion is located in the Lower Town area of the city, south of Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square and just north of the King Tomislav Square with the Main Train Station...
Zagreb - 1975 Marijan Trepše - Art Pavilion, Zagreb
Group exhibitions
- 1997 Realism of the 1920s: Magic, Classic, Objective in Croatian Art. ArTresor Studio, Zagreb
- 1980 Expressionism and Croatian Art, Art Pavilion Zagreb
Public Collections
Marijan Trepše's work can be found in the following public collectionsCroatia
- Museum of Contemporary Art, ZagrebMuseum of Contemporary Art, ZagrebThe Museum of Contemporary Art is a contemporary art museum located on Dubrovnik Avenue in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the biggest and most modern museum in the country....
- Gallery of Fine Arts, SplitGallery of Fine Arts, SplitThe Gallery of Fine Arts , is an art museum in Split, Croatia containing works from 14th century up to the present day providing an overview of the artistic developments in the local art scene...
- Gallery of Fine Arts, OsijekOsijekOsijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
- Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, RijekaRijekaRijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
Serbia
- Museum of Contemporary Art, BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...