Departments and collections

Gallery Department

The Gallery Department was founded in 1954 by merging the City of Karlovac Painting Gallery, established on July 12, 1945 as the first gallery institution in Croatia established after World War II, with the Karlovac City Museum.

The period of the Painting Gallery’s independent operation (1945 – 1954) was characterized by the enthusiasm of its curators-guardians (Nikola Dragarić, Branko Kozina), scarce financial resources, lack and insecurity of the premises needed to perform the museum activity, and the fact that the communication activity of the Painting Gallery, despite all difficulties, became a recognizable social and cultural fact on the local scene owing to the support from Zagreb and cooperation with contemporary Karlovac painters. Following Ivana Fadejev Vrbanić, the collection was under the care of: Aleksandar Strzalkowski (1964 – 1967), Petar Skutari (1973 – 1994), Nikola Albaneže (1994 – 2000), and Antonija Škrtić.

Since 2010, the unique collection of the gallery department has been divided into several collections. The artwork from these collections is presented in occasional exhibitions.

Antonija Škrtić, museum advisor
Phone: +385 47 412 381 (25)
e-mail: antonija.druzak@mgk.hr

The Collection of Watercolors contains works of art on paper painted in the watercolor technique and related water-based techniques. A considerable part of these was collected during 1980s at the time of the Watercolor Biennale of Yugoslavia, an exhibition that the Karlovac City Museum had been organizing from 1979 to 1989 in honor of Slava Raškaj. Since 1998, the Karlovac City Museum, together with the Artworks Gallery of the City of Slavonski Brod, has been organizing the Croatian Watercolor Triennale, and thus following the contemporary watercolor achievements.

Slava pl. Raškaj: Trakošćan, 1899

Slava pl. Raškaj: Trakošćan, 1899

Nikola Reiser: Bather, 1962

Nikola Reiser: Bather, 1962

Đorđe Petrović: Morning embrace, 1986

Đorđe Petrović: Morning embrace, 1986.

The Collection of Drawings is an art collection comprising artwork on paper executed in various drawing techniques. Chronologically it covers the period from the 19th century. A special place in the collection is held by the valuable works of the renowned Karlovac draftsmen Daniel Butala (1943 - 2017) and Alfred Freddy Krupa (1971), and by the portrait caricatures of well-known Karlovac residents authored by Miroslav Reiner and donated by Ms Maja Muhovec.

Alfred Freddy Krupa: Two churches: St. Nicholas in rebuild, 2007

Alfred Freddy Krupa: Two churches: St. Nicholas in rebuild, 2007

Miroslav Reiner: Vladimir Židovec, a lawyer, a diplomat, a chess player; Dr. Židovec, 1934

Miroslav Reiner: Vladimir Židovec, a lawyer, a diplomat, a chess player; Dr. Židovec, 1934

Dražen Barić: Last year, 1970

Dražen Barić: Last year, 1970

Daniel Butala: The last warrior, 2000

Daniel Butala: The last warrior, 2000

Drago Brajak: No title, 2006

Drago Brajak: No title, 2006

The Collection of Graphic Art is an art collection comprising artwork on paper executed in various graphic techniques. Chronologically it covers the period from the 19th century. In addition to graphic portfolios, it also contains individual print sheets.

Milenko D. Gjurić: View of Karlovac, 1929

Milenko D. Gjurić: View of Karlovac, 1929

Nikola Dragarić: Rain, 1941 – 1943

Nikola Dragarić: Rain, 1941 – 1943

Marijan Detoni: Workshop, 1969

Marijan Detoni: Workshop, 1969

The Collection of Modern and Contemporary Painting is an art collection comprising artwork executed in the painting techniques of oil, acrylic and polycolor on canvas, glass, lesonite or other bases, and of tempera and pastel on paper from early 20th century. The collection contains the works of authors whose birth, life, and creations are connected to the city of Karlovac, and works of the authors who have held highly regarded exhibitions in the exhibition premises of the city of Karlovac, and in particular in the “Vjekoslav Karas” Gallery. The collection represents a source for the exploration and presentation of the cultural history and art of the city of Karlovac, artistic and social life in Karlovac and the surrounding region, and is a selection perfect for getting acquainted with the body of work of visual artists connected to the city and region of Karlovac and its people through their biography and/or ouvre.

Ivan Generalić: Auction, 1936

Ivan Generalić: Auction, 1936

Josip Vaništa: Fruit, 1941

Josip Vaništa: Fruit, 1941

Ljudevit Šestić: Old willows, 1940

Ljudevit Šestić: Old willows, 1940

Šime Perić: Turmoil, 1971

Šime Perić: Turmoil, 1971

Alfred Krupa: Self-portrait with a cat, 1973

Alfred Krupa: Self-portrait with a cat, 1973

Nives Kavurić-Kurtović: Renewing oneself within, 1977

Nives Kavurić-Kurtović: Renewing oneself within, 1977

The Poster Collection is a documentary and art collection of printed materials. Chronologically it covers the period from the 19th century. The centerpiece of the collection are posters related to the activities of the Painting Gallery of the City of Karlovac (1945 – 1954), Karlovac City Museum and other museums and heritage institutions of the city of Karlovac, Croatia and beyond, as well as anti-war posters from the times of the Homeland War.

Exhibition of paintings by Croatian artists, 1945

Exhibition of paintings by Croatian artists, 1945

Karlovac will never be Kordunovac, 1991

Karlovac will never be Kordunovac, 1991

Nada Škrlin: War is the reality I am living, 1991

Nada Škrlin: War is the reality I am living, 1991

The Sculpture Collection features sculptures (statues, reliefs, small-scale sculptures, scale models, objects) made in stone, metal, plaster, wood, ceramics and artificial materials, chronologically covering the period from the 19th century. The collection represents a valuable source for the exploration and presentation of the sculptural heritage of Karlovac linked to the life and body of work of visual artists from Karlovac (Franciska Petelinšek, Zdenko Grgeljac, Andrija Kusanić), and for the presentation of sculptural ouvres of nationally important authors whose works have been preserved by a Karlovac family and then found their way into the collection, or whose lives and work were linked to Karlovac and its residents.

Kosta Angeli Radovani: Fisherwoman, 1942

Kosta Angeli Radovani: Fisherwoman, 1942

Dušan Džamonja: Model 11, 1970s

Dušan Džamonja: Model 11, 1970s

Josip Diminić: Body variant B, 1973

Josip Diminić: Body variant B, 1973

The Collection of 18th and 19th Century Paintings is an art collection comprising paintings on canvas, paper and solid formats, executed in painting techniques (oil and combined techniques). Chronologically it covers the period up to the 20th century. Some of the artwork was transferred to the collection from the City Government, i.e. from the City National Committee in the years following World War II. The collection is a valuable source for the exploration and presentation of cultural history and art of the city of Karlovac, and provides an insight into the body of work of visual artists whose biography and/or ouvre are associated with the Karlovac city, region and people.

Matija Schieder: Madonna with Child, 1845

Matija Schieder: Madonna with Child, 1845

Vjekoslav Karas: Portrait of Madam Karas, 1850

Vjekoslav Karas: Portrait of Madam Karas, 1850

Hugo Lukšić: Plitvice, 1893

Hugo Lukšić: Plitvice, 1893

The Collection of Art Photography, Multimedia and Other Contemporary Techniques is an art collection comprising analogue and digital photography, videos, audio recordings, concepts. Chronologically it covers the 20th and 21st century. A prominent part of the collection is the donation of a photography series titled “Portraits of the Star City” by Goran Vranić.

Marijan Oršanić: Before the rain, around 1950

Marijan Oršanić: Before the rain, around 1950

Milan Petrović: At the end of winter, 1984

Milan Petrović: At the end of winter, 1984

Mirko Rendulić: At dusk, 1985

Mirko Rendulić: At dusk, 1985

Goran Vranić: Adornments of the basement II, 1994

Goran Vranić: Adornments of the basement II, 1994

Goran Vranić: From the Prows 2007 cycle

Goran Vranić: From the Prows 2007 cycle

Mario Kučera: Room 23, 2006

Mario Kučera: Room 23, 2006