Ivan Meštrović

Božo Banac, Dubrovnik;

By descent to his stepson, Ivan (Vane) Ivanovic, Dubrovnik;

Exported to Formentor, Mallorca and then London;

Thence by descent to the present owner

The present bronze is a reduction of Mestrovic's monumental relief of St John the Evangelist, whose full-size bronze version was recorded in the sculptor's studio in Zagreb. Though the present bronze is not signed, it was formerly owned by Božo Banac, who held a close friendship with the sculptor, indicating that it is most likely an autograph, period cast. A closely comparable bronze version of the model, of the same dimensions, is in the collection of the Mestrovic Gallery, Split (inv. no. GMS-78).

RELATED LITERATURE

Mestrovic, Zagreb, 1933, pl. LXXXVII; B. Gagro, Ivan Mestrovic, Zagreb, 1987, pp. 218-219 and 316