Emanuel Vidović facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emanuel Vidović
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Emanuel Vidović in 1936
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| Born | 24 December 1870 |
| Died | 1 June 1953 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | Croat |
| Education | Venice |
| Known for | Oil painting, Gouache, Graphic arts, Pastels |
| Movement | Impressionism, Art Nouveau, Modern Art |
Emanuel Božidar Vidović (born December 24, 1870 – died June 1, 1953) was a famous Croatian painter. He was also a graphic artist from the city of Split.
Vidović helped bring new ideas about modern art to Split. In 1900, he became an active member of the Literary-Art Club. Later, in 1907, he helped start the Medulić Society with Ivan Meštrović.
He studied art in Venice but didn't finish his official training. Instead, he preferred to paint scenes of Venice, including canals and lagoons. In 1898, he came back to Split. He brought with him new ideas about light and bright colors, similar to the Post-Impressionist style. He painted landscapes outdoors and larger, more styled paintings in his studio.
His early art often showed stories from South Slavic history and legends, in an Art Nouveau style. Later, his paintings became darker, but with bright spots and strong black outlines, like Expressionist art. People really liked his landscapes and his later paintings of church interiors in Split and Trogir.
Vidović was chosen as a member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1949. He showed his art in many exhibitions in Croatia and other countries. For many years, he also taught drawing at schools in Split. In 1986, the Emanuel Vidović Gallery opened in Split. It shows his life and many of his artworks.
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About Emanuel Vidović
Vidović was the first child of Ivan Vidović and Paškva Grubić. He was born on Christmas Eve in 1870 in a small stone house in Split. After elementary school, he went to the Imperial Royal High School in Split. There, he learned drawing from the architect and painter Emil Vecchietti.
In 1887, when he was 17, Vidović started studying sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. He later switched to painting. However, he didn't like the old-fashioned way they taught art. So, in 1890, he stopped his formal studies. For a while, he struggled to make a living by painting scenes around Venice. In 1892, he moved to Milan and worked at a place called Famiglia Artistica.
Early Art and Influences
In 1894, one of Vidović's paintings was shown in Milan alongside works by Giovanni Segantini. That same year, he spent time in Chioggia, a quiet fishing town with beautiful lagoons and canals. Some of his paintings from this time were full of light and painted with wide brushstrokes. He also created romantic landscapes of dawn and dusk, which showed the style of Symbolism.
When he returned to Split, Vidović became good friends with other painters like Josip Lalić and Ante Katunarić. In 1896, he showed his art locally. The next year, his work was part of an international exhibition in Copenhagen.
In 1897, he spent almost a year in Chioggia again, this time with Ante Katunarić. From this time, he painted many views of Chioggia, Venice, and Giudecca. In these paintings, sunlight made forms shimmer, and small details were almost gone. Back in Split in 1898, Vidović painted local scenes in the same style. He also became a drawing teacher at the high school and opened his first art studio. That year, he married Amalija Baffo from Chioggia.
Joining the Art Scene
The Literary-Art Club opened in 1900 and brought modern art to Split. Emanuel Vidović was one of its most active members. He helped organize its first exhibition in 1901 with Josip Lalić. Besides his oil paintings, he also showed some funny drawings called caricatures. In 1903, Vidović had his first solo art shows in Split and Zagreb. He also took part in group shows in Milan, London, Vienna, and Sofia.
In 1908, Vidović helped organize a big art exhibition in Dalmatia. In the same year, he started publishing a funny newspaper called Duje Balavac with Katunarić. Vidović and Ivan Meštrović, along with other young artists, founded the Medulić Society. In 1909, Vidović became a professor of drawing at the School of Crafts in Split.
After World War I, in 1919, Vidović had his second solo exhibition in Split. This show later traveled to Zagreb, Belgrade, and Osijek. He then moved into a new studio in Split, where he worked from 1919 to 1942.
Later Works and Recognition
In 1923, he had a solo exhibition in Prague. In 1924, he had a joint exhibition with Anđelo Uvodić in Split. Emanuel Vidović organized a large Jubilee Exhibition in 1929 in Split and Zagreb, and in 1931 in Belgrade. Around this time, his oil paintings started to show new subjects, like still lifes (paintings of objects) and interiors (inside spaces). He also showed landscapes painted with pastels.
In the early 1930s, Vidović created many paintings of Trogir landscapes. These were shown in Split in 1936. These new works were different from his earlier symbolic art. People and art critics really liked them. In 1939, Vidović took part in a festival called "Half a century Croatian art" in Zagreb. He also had a new solo exhibition in Split. These shows featured paintings of church interiors, his studio, and still lifes.
From 1938 to 1942, he painted a series of church interiors. He found a new way to show space in these paintings. He created deep, three-dimensional spaces from different angles, all balanced with a refined style. The Trogir paintings from 1936 were very popular. He was chosen to show his art at the Venice Biennale in 1942 and 1952. During the war, he stayed in his studio and focused on painting interiors and still lifes.
In 1949, Vidović was elected a member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 1952, a special exhibition showing his entire career was held in Zagreb.
Emanuel Vidović passed away on June 1, 1953.
Artistic Style and Legacy
Vidović's early paintings of Venice, Milan, and Chioggia were inspired by a technique called divisionism. This technique uses small dots or strokes of color to create an image. His Chioggia paintings, in particular, showed everything from soft, peaceful twilight scenes to bright, colorful landscapes and seascapes.
In Split and the areas around it, Vidović made many studies and sketches outdoors. He used bright colors to capture the lively landscape. Later, in his studio, he would turn these fresh ideas into large paintings. These often had a soft, lyrical, and sometimes symbolic feeling. His colors became darker, but many of these paintings showed great strength and originality. He created bright, glowing color effects in the lighter parts of his otherwise dark paintings.
In his painting Small World, Vidović experimented with divisionism, creating a very pure style. In Angelus (1906/7), the feeling of space disappears. The whole image is made with shimmering red dots, and shapes are simplified to a few calm horizontal lines.
Around 1920, Vidović's painting style changed. His colors became dark, mostly blues, greens, browns, and blacks. He would add a bright color here and there. Shapes were outlined in black, and these lines sometimes looked a bit twisted, giving the paintings an Expressionist feel.
From 1930, Vidović often visited Trogir. He was drawn to the old, worn look of its buildings. At this time, he also started painting still lifes. These were often inspired by old sculptures, church items, and antiques in his Split studio. He moved away from his earlier symbolic art. His colors became brighter, and his drawings clearer. His artistic experience showed in the lyrical feel and typical Mediterranean atmosphere of his works.
As a professor at the High School and the School of Decorative Arts in Split, Vidović taught many younger artists.
In 1986, the Emanuel Vidović Gallery opened in Split. It shows the artist's life and works. It is part of the City Museum in Split and has a collection of his paintings, photos, and even a recreation of his studio.
Important Works
- Giudecca, 1898, Modern Gallery, Zagreb
- Vranjica, 1898, Archaeological Museum, Split
- Fall of Solin (Pada Solinčice), 1898
- Houses at Tusculum (Kuće kod Tusculuma), 1898
- Small World (Mali svijet), 1904
- Angelus, 1906/7, oil on canvas, Modern Gallery, Zagreb
- Villager Houses, Solin (Seljačke kuće,Solin), 1921, Gallery Emanuel Vidovic, Split
- Still Life (Mrtva priroda), 1926
- From the Studio (Iz ateliera), 1926
- Statue with Vessel (Kip s posudom), 1927
- Split Harbour, 1937
- Split Cathedral (Splitska katedrala), 1939, Gallery Emanuel Vidovic, Split
- Old Clock (Stari sat), 1945, Gallery Emanuel Vidovic, Split
- Kamerlengo, 1952
You can see more of his works online here: Online gallery of his works
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
Here are some of his recent solo exhibitions:
- 2009 Emanuel Vidovic exhibition at the Art pavilion "Juraj Sporer" in Opatija, Croatia
- 2001 Emanuel Vidović – Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik
- 2000 Emanuel Vidović : works from the Art Gallery collection – Art Gallery Split, Split
- 1982 Emanuel Vidović – Art Gallery Split, Split
- 1971 Emanuel Vidović 1870–1953 – Art Pavilion Zagreb, Zagreb
- 1963 Emanuel Vidović – Art Gallery Split, Split
- 1953 Posthumous exhibition of Emanuel Vidović – Art Gallery Split, Split
Group Exhibitions
Here are some recent group exhibitions he was part of:
- 2008 From the holdings of the museum – Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik
- 2007 From the gallery collection – Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik
- 2006 Selection from the Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik Collection – Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik
- Venice Biennale 1942, 1952
Public Collections
Vidović's works can be found in these public art collections:
- Modern Gallery, Zagreb
- Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik
- Lošinj Museum, Mali Lošinj
- Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Rijeka, Rijeka
- Rovinj Heritage Museum, Rovinj
- Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
- Emanuel Vidović Gallery, Split
