A Unique Gift for the 25th Anniversary

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Mimara Museum has decided to give its visitors a treat: exquisite masterpieces from its rich holdings. The exhibition titled “Three Topics from the Mimara Museum Holdings” was opened in mid-July and it will offer visitors a chance to see some delightful works of art until 14th October.

“Three Topics from the Mimara Museum Holdings” is the title of the exhibition that Zagreb’s well-known  museum decided to offer as a “gift” to its visitors to mark the 25th anniversary of its existence. The title may be somewhat unassuming but the jubilee certainly is not, nor is the art behind it: the most valuable pieces from three different museum collections; glass, paintings and drawings, prints and illuminations. By showcasing different works of art the organizers wished to highlight some of the museum’s rich holdings which are now kept in Zagreb thanks to the great donator Ante Topić Mimara.
The three topics are as follows: 19th Century Glasswork, Two Paintings by Rubens and Armenian Miniatures. 

The first part of the exhibition presents previously unseen glass objects. At centre stage is a goblet made in Murano in 1890. It is a replica of the famous Barovier wedding cup. None the less exquisite are examples of Czech Biedermeier and a set of drinking glasses made in Vienna around 1880. This part of the exhibition comprises some 30 glass objects (cups, plates and drinking sets), each of them accompanied by a detailed historical narrative about their origin, thus making the exhibition an interesting learning experience.

The second topic comprises two paintings of the Rubens’ school provenance: the mythological scene “The Judgement of Paris” and the pastoral “Landscape with a Rainbow”. Not only do they illustrate the work of the Flemish baroque painter, but they also put the artistic work of the Rubens’ school into a historical context. Namely, the “Landscape with a Rainbow” was originally attributed to Rubens. However, since it emulates a painting displayed in Hermitage (1632-1635), it is now considered that the copy in Zagreb is possibly not the original work by the great master but rather of one of his disciples. The other work on show, “The Judgement of Paris”, is very similar to another which is on display in the National Gallery in London, and therefore it is now considered a work by a Rubens’ disciple who painted it at the end of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th century. 

Equally interesting and intriguing is the third topic: Armenian Miniatures by Zakaria Aghtamartsi from 1358 and two others which depict the Canon tables on both sides. They originate from one of the harshest periods in Armenian history; when the state was being plundered and besieged by the Tatars.

Besides this three-topic exhibition, there will be a few more surprises. One has already been announced: an exhibition which will follow the current one and which will be open from 18th October to 18th November.  It will showcase a proposed future donation of drawings and prints by minor French masters from the 19th century whose owner (the name is still unknown) wishes to donate this valuable collection to the museum.