Antun Augustinčić facts for kids

Antun Augustinčić (born May 4, 1900 – died May 10, 1979) was a very important Croatian sculptor. He worked in Yugoslavia and the United States. He is seen as one of the three most important Croatian sculptors of the 20th century, along with Ivan Meštrović and Frano Kršinić.

Some of his most famous sculptures include the Peace monument. This large statue stands in front of the United Nations building in New York City. He also made the Miner statue, which is in front of the International Labour Organization headquarters in Geneva. Augustinčić also created several sculptures of the Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito.

Early Life and Learning

Augustinčić was born in a small town called Klanjec. This town is in northern Croatia. At that time, Croatia was part of Austria-Hungary.

In 1918, he started studying at the Arts and Crafts College in Zagreb. There, he learned about sculpting from professors Rudolf Valdec and Robert Frangeš. In 1922, the college became the Royal Academy of Arts and Crafts. He then studied under the famous sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Augustinčić finished his studies in 1924.

After that, he received a special scholarship from the French government. This allowed him to continue his studies in Paris, France. He attended the École des Arts Décoratifs and École des Beaux-Arts. His teacher in Paris was Jean Antoine Injalbert.

In 1925 and 1926, Augustinčić had his first art shows in Paris. He then came back to Zagreb and showed his art there in 1926. He also had exhibitions in Lwów and Zagreb in 1927.

In 1929, he helped start a group of artists called the Earth Group. This group brought together sculptors, painters, and architects who had similar ideas. Famous artists like Drago Ibler and Krsto Hegedušić were part of it. Augustinčić showed his art in several of the group's exhibitions. He left the group in 1933.

Becoming a Famous Sculptor

In 1930, Augustinčić created his first equestrian sculpture. This is a statue of a person riding a horse. He won a competition for a monument in Niš with his design. From then on, equestrian statues became a special part of his work.

One of his most famous equestrian works is the Peace monument. It was put in front of the United Nations building in New York in 1954. He also made a monument to Józef Piłsudski in Katowice, Poland. This was ordered in the 1930s but placed much later in 1991.

In the late 1930s, he made monuments to King Alexander. These were in Sombor and Skopje, but they were later destroyed during World War II. He also created several sculptures of the Croatian politician Stjepan Radić.

Other important works from this time include headstones for family tombs. These can be seen at the Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb. Examples are Sorrow (1930), Moses (1932), and Icarus (1935).

In 1940, he became a member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts. His sculptures were also shown in a 1940 film called Croatian Sculptors. During World War II, Augustinčić continued to work. He made a bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of Ante Pavelić. In 1943, he joined the Yugoslav Partisans' movement. That same year, he made a bust of Josip Broz Tito in Jajce.

After the war, in 1946, Augustinčić became a professor. He taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. He also became a member of the People's Assembly.

Later Works and International Projects

After the war, Augustinčić created many more important sculptures. These include monuments to Josip Broz Tito in his birthplace of Kumrovec (1948). He also made sculptures of politician Moša Pijade (1953) and violinist Zlatko Baloković (1962). Another notable work is the sculpture of the 16th-century Croatian writer Marin Držić (1963).

One of his most important sculptures from this time is The Carrying of the Wounded. He first sketched this idea in 1944. He used this motif in many monuments over the next thirty years. One version of this sculpture is in front of the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb.

Augustinčić also helped design all of the Yugoslav awards and medals. He worked with the Serbian painter Đorđe Andrejević-Kun on this. He also created the coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Croatia. He did this with Vanja Radauš.

The Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, visited Yugoslavia. He met Augustinčić on the Brijuni islands. The Emperor asked Augustinčić to design a monument. This monument would remember the victims of Italian attacks in Addis Ababa. The Emperor told him, "Who better than you will be able to portray the suffering of victims of fascism?"

Augustinčić accepted the invitation. He worked with his friend Frano Kršinić on this project. They designed the Monument to the Victims of Fascism, also known as the Yekatit 12 Monument. After finishing this, Augustinčić also built the Monument to the Ethiopian Partisan in Holeta Military Academy. He also created the Monument to Ras Mӓkonnen in Harar. The famous Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle even went to Zagreb to share ideas with Augustinčić for the Harar monument.

In 1970, Augustinčić gave many of his artworks to his hometown of Klanjec. A gallery opened there in 1976 to show his works. His last major work was a memorial dedicated to the 1573 Peasants' Revolt. This revolt was led by Matija Gubec. The monument was put up near Oršić Castle in Gornja Stubica in 1973. It is made of bronze and stone. It features a large relief sculpture covering 180 square meters.

Gallery

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  Sorrow, monument at the Vajda family tomb, Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb, 1930

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  Monument to Liberators of Niš, 1937

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  Józef Piłsudski monument in Katowice, Poland, 1936–39

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  Monument Victory at the Battle of Batina Memorial in Batina, 1947

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  Josip Broz Tito monument in Kumrovec, 1948

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  The Carrying of the Wounded, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zagreb, 1953

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  Antun Augustinčić and Frano Kršinić, Monument to Victims of Italian Fascism in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,1955

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  Bust of Zlatko Baloković at Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb, 1967

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  Monument to the Peasants' Rebellion and Matija Gubec in Donja Stubica, 1973

See also

In Spanish: Antun Augustinčić para niños