Unveiling the Grandeur of Ivan Meštrović: A Landmark Exhibition at Klovićevi Dvori Gallery

Artworks by Ivan Meštrović have begun to arrive at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery from various parts of the world, including America and countries across Europe. This exhibition, the largest to date of the artist’s work, will display over two hundred pieces. 

Set to open on the 22nd of November, an exclusive sneak peek reveals two curators, Petra Vugrinec and Barbara Vujanovic, donning essential white gloves and, with the help of the technical team, meticulously unboxing the artworks. Vugrinec, a museum advisor at Klovicevi Dvori with a doctorate on symbolism in Croatian art, and Vujanovic, a museum advisor at the Mestrovic Atelier who also holds a doctorate focused on the artist’s oeuvre, are at the helm of this significant event.

Valued at 30 million euros, it’s challenging to recall when last an exhibition of this magnitude was appraised at such a figure. Some of the heaviest pieces weigh two to three tonnes. The technical crew, as recounted by the curators, has been virtually sleepless for months, engaged in the Herculean task of transporting, dismantling, and assembling sculptures of massive weight. 

Scaffolding has been erected and crates custom-made to accommodate each piece, with the gallery’s load-bearing capacity rigorously tested. Consequently, some artworks, like the wooden giants Adam and Eve from the Mestrovic Gallery in Split, could not be moved. Others will be displayed on the ground floor rather than upstairs due to their size or weight.

Many pieces are arriving from abroad, including a portrait of the artist’s great love, which some interpret as his finest depiction of the beautiful Czech artist, set to be exhibited for the first time in Croatia.