Classical elements and their variations from negation to appropriateness in the sculptural opus of Ivan Meštrović From the University years to the Zagreb period

Razmatranje elemenata klasičnoga, odnosno aspekata klasicizma, pod čime podrazumijevamo utjecaje arhajske i klasične grčke – antičke te renesansne umjetnosti, u kiparskome opusu Ivana Meštrovića kompleksno je pitanje. Osim djela u čijoj formi i sadržaju iščitavamo kiparevu refleksiju klasike, dostupni su nam i njegovi komentari, tekstovi u kojima eksplicitno izražava svoj stav prema nasljedovanju klasičnih uzora. Još od studentskih dana na bečkoj Akademie der Bildenden Künste, kada poput svakoga mladog čovjeka bez obzira na to u kojem vremenu djeluje, iskazuje bunt protiv općeprihvaćenih i od svojih profesora nametnutih kanona klasicizma, pa sve do trenutka kad i sam postaje profesor i rektor na Kraljevskoj akademiji za umjetnost i obrt odnosno Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Zagrebu, preuzimajući tako zadaću da sam određene norme prenese svojim učenicima, Meštrović je itekako upućen i svjestan poznavatelj klasičnih tradicija. Raspon od zazora do afirmacije kanona, napose Michelangelovog, zrcali sazrijevanje i formiranje umjetničke ličnosti kroz različita razdoblja djelovanja. Taj odnos je rijetko jednoznačan; katkada sam autor podastire kontradikcije, osobito u pisanim tragovima, stavljajući tumača njegovih djela u zamku da sitničavim prenaglašavanjem određenih elemenata forme kao doslovno preuzetih obrazaca, previdi smisao djela u cjelini. Kroz reprezentativna kiparska ostvarenja koja su na tematskoj i/ili oblikovnoj razini inspirirana antičkim ili renesansnim izvorima, u ovom radu protumačit ćemo pojam klasičnoga u opusu Ivana Meštrovića, koje varira ovisno o razdoblju, aktualnom stilskom toku, temi, ulozi djela unutar ciklusa, itd. Razumijevanje tih varijacija bitno je za sagledavanje geneze njegova likovnoga stila.Consideration of classical elements and the aspects of classicism, including influences of the archaic and classical ancient Greek and Renaissance art, in the sculptural opus of Ivan Meštrović is a highly complex issue. Beside the works whose form and content depict sculptor`s reflection of classicism, we have access to his commentaries, texts where he explicitly expresses his attitude towards the imitation of classical models. Since his university years at the Vienna Akademie der Bildenden Künste, when he, like all young individuals regardless of the ongoing period, expresses rebellion against universal and teacher-imposed canons of classicism up to the moment when he becomes professor and chancellor at the Royal Academy of Arts and Crafts i.e., Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, assuming the task of passing certain norms on to his students. Meštrović is undoubtedly a skilled connoisseur of classical traditions. The range from aversion to affirmation of canons, especially Michelangelo`s, reflects maturity and formation of the artistic personality through various working stages. That relationship is rarely unambiguous; sometimes the author himself presents contradictions, especially in writing, thus setting a trap for the interpreter of his work to overlook the meaning of the overall work of art through petty overemphasis of certain elements of form as explicitly adopted patterns. Through representative sculptural achievements inspired by ancient or Renaissance models at the thematic and/or structural level, this paper attempts to interpret the concept of classical in the opus of Ivan Meštrović, which varies depending on the period, contemporary stylistic trend, theme, role of the work of art within the cycle etc. The comprehension of those variations is essential for putting the genesis of his artistic style into perspective