Rodin in Meštrović’s Zagreb

As of May 5th, the Art Pavilion will be the venue for a large exhibition, Rodin in Meštrović’s Zagreb, featuring famous works by one of the greatest sculptors of all time, who was also a great friend of the Croatian master sculptor, Ivan Meštrović.

As of May 5th, the Art Pavilion will be the venue for an exhibition of works by the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Visitors of this sensational exhibition will have the opportunity to view 74 sculptures by the renowned artist, whose fascinating masterpieces, such as The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, are truly breath-taking. The exhibition of works from the Rodin Museum will be organized as part of the Festival of French Culture in Croatia, while an exhibition of works by the great Croatian sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, was held in France as part of the Festival of Croatian Culture three years ago.

The two great sculptors were close friends, which is why Rodin’s exhibition is taking place at the Art Pavilion, where his works were exhibited for the first time almost fifty years ago. Concurrently with this representative exhibition in Zagreb, the Meštrović Gallery in Split will organize an exhibition featuring Rodin’s Meditation – Inner Voice and Meštrović’s Psyche. The symbolic intertwining of the works by the two artists is representative of their friendship. Just how strong their bond was is proven in Rodin’s letter to Meštrović, in which he promised to give him his legendary work as a gift, but he was prevented from doing so by the outbreak by the First World War. Soon thereafter, the French artist died.

Apart from Rodin’s fascinating sculptures, the exhibition at the Art Pavilion will feature twenty drawings by the great artist, as well as some historic photographs, including the ones by Rodin’s official photographer, Eugène Druet, who also photographed Meštrović’s work while the artist lived in Paris.