Monday May 20 was a bit cloudy but still a warm 26C. We had breakfast on the deck and then headed to Upper Town to visit the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art.
On the way, we stopped to buy some cheese in the large indoor meat/cheese market at the Dolac Market
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| Large indoor meat/cheese market--- fruits and veg are outside under the red umbrellas and fish market is closed Mondays |
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We passed a small bar in the market- lots of folks and some musicians even in the morning
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As we walked up, we stopped to get a chocolate bar (Croatia has very good chocolate) and were given a sample of some cherry rakija (brandy). As our Walking Tour guide, Darco, told us rakija isn't just an alcoholic drink; it's the national drink. It is distilled from local fruit to make an array of rakija varieties. Darco said his grandfather would use almost any fruit in his garden to make rakija. We have had a few small glasses already which some restaurants give you at the end of a meal.
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| Local products- with tastes of rakija |
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| We walked through the Stone Gate to get to Upper Town |
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| A better view of the famous Virgin Mary picture |
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| Walking through the gate-- there are inscriptions in the walls from people giving thanks |
We found the Museum down a small street. The exhibit is located through a small courtyard on the second floor of the building. The collection was founded in 1952 as the "Peasant Art Gallery". The works are not considered "folk art" or amateur art". The temporary exhibit was entitled "Oho! And this is Naïve". The accompanying brochure indicated that "naïve art or naïve stands for the diverse artistic creation of 20th century artists who did not have formal art education, but who nevertheless developed their own individual style and artistic value".
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| Outside of the Museum---- it is going to be moving to a new larger location in 2025 |
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Poster for the exhibit
In the first hall there was a VIP (Very Important Pieces section exhibiting the most famous Croatian naïve painters). Ivan Generalić (1914-1992) is historically the first Croatian naïve painter, "father" of Croatian naïve. Many had rural themes. After WWII, other talented individuals appeared including Ivan Rabuzin (1921-2008) who developed a "pointillistic-like"style. The rest of the exhibit included works from the collection who were lesser known. |
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| Vangel Naumovski, Blossoming Fires, 1969 |
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| Ivan Rabuzin, On the Hills-Primeval Forest, 1960 |
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Ivan Lacković Croata, Trees Die Standing Up, 1982
This painting was done with oil on glass and there was an accompanying video
showing how to paint this way. We both really liked this piece. |
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| Ilija Bosilj, Great Cosmonaut, 1962 |
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| Sava Sekulić, The Octopus School and Self-Teacher, 1969 |
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| Ilija Bosilj, Peacock, 1969 |
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| Ilija Bosilj, Bird, 1970 |
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| Ivan Generalić, Fish-Still Life, 1962 |
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Eugen Buktenica, Grilling Fish, 1957
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| Hrvoje Šercar, Wine and Arsenal Fish, 2005 |
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| Marija Brusić-Kovačica, Octopus, 1973 |
Allan and I both enjoyed the exhibit, which exposed us to Croatian Naïve Art. In Croatia, in the 1930s, there was a focus on art by untrained peasants. At that time, as in much of rural Europe, 85% of Croatians lived with no electricity or other modern conveniences, and the majority were illiterate and uneducated. These artists captured this reality in their figurative works. By the 1950s and 1960s, Croatian Naïve Art had emerged at the forefront of a Europe-wide phenomenon. Many of the artists painted on glass as it was cheaper and more readily available than art canvases.
Just down the street from the Museum was a very impressive and well-maintained Greek Orthodox Church.
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| Cyril and Methodius Greek Catholic Cathedral- dating from 1935 |
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| Inside of the church (from entrance gate) |
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| We also walked by gaslights which Darco had told us are lit by hand every evening |
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| This time we walked down the stairs from the tower-- picture taken when we reached the bottom |
We stopped at a lovely store called Mediteranart- which had a beautiful display of local olive oils, rakijas, sea salts and other treats. The server (who was a Luka Dončić fan) was very helpful and gave us a taste of a rakija.
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| Very good local products |
We headed over for a late afternoon coffee at Cogito Coffee.
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| Small inside section-- very good coffee |
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| We hung outside with the locals enjoying fjaka: the Croatian art of doing nothing.. |
We wandered past the entrance to the small funicular, which is presently not in service until the end of May.
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| Lovely outdoor section where we had dinner |
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| Inside, picture taken before dinner- it filled up by the time we left |
and the outdoor patio was also full.
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| Description of the restaurant |
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| View of the Cathedral from our outdoor table |
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We shared a local favourite, fried chicken, and also had roasted turkey with 'mlinci" (local baked flatbread pasta); and a bean salad with onions and pumpkin seed oil---
The photo is of Allan with a plate of all the dishes combined |
It was a lovely dinner, very relaxing and very filling. Definitely more Austrian/Hungarian influences on the cuisine than on the coast. As we walked back to the apartment, we passed one of the many blue trams that criss-cross Zagreb. Fares are very reasonable - only about 0.60 euros a ride. We are fortunate that we are within walking distance of the places we want to visit.
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| The blue trams of Zagreb |
Another enjoyable day in Zagreb.
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