Split Art Galleries
(Split, Central Dalmatia, Croatia)
Several quality galleries reside in Split, boasting extensive permanent collections of art. After being closed for many years and restored in the 1990s, the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery (Galerija Mestrovic) reopened in the spring of 1998 and remains an attractive building in its own right.
Another gleaming star in Split's art scene is the Gallery of Fine Arts (Galerija Umjetnina), which boasts a really diverse selection of paintings and sculptures. The earliest section contains a group of pieces created between the 14th century and the 18th century, while there is also a collection of 19th-century masterpieces and more contemporary works by prominent Croatian artists of the 20th century.
Ivan Mestrovic Gallery (Galerija Mestrovic)
Address: Setaliste Ivana Mestrovica 46, Meje, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 358 719
Located next to the
Kastelet is the Mestrovic Gallery, the city's most impressive art museum. This extremely popular attraction features the works of Ivan Mestrovic (1883 to 1962), the country's top modern sculptor, who had this house built in the 1930s as his summer house / retirement home, although he actually ended up living in the
USA following the Second World War. The gallery is located just to the west of the centre, on the Marjan Peninsula, where it overlooks the sea and is stunningly laid out and well maintained. Exhibits include an assortment of some 600 drawings and just under 200 sculptures (created in stone, marble, bronze and wood), along with plaster models, paintings, sketches, architectural plans and antique furnishings. Outside, the landscaped gardens and sculptures complement the indoor art works to a tee.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 09:00 to 14:00, Saturday - 09:00 to 13:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for students and children
Gallery of Fine Arts (Galerija Umjetnina)
Address: Kralja Tomislava 15, Split, Croatia, HR
Tel: +385 021 350 112
The Gallery of Fine Arts is another notable art museum in Split and has an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures, dating from as far back as the 14th century and stretching right up to the 21st century. Founded in the early 1930s and relocated to its present venue in the old hospital building in 2009, the Galerija Umjetnina is close to
Diocletian's Palace. Highlights include works by many of Croatia's most famous and acclaimed artists, including pieces by Branislav Deskovic (1883 to 1939), Emanuel Vidovic (1870 to 1953), Ignat Job (1895 to 1936), Mato Celestin Medovic (1857 to 1920) and Vlaho Bukovac (1855 to 1922), as well as some sculptures by Ivan Mestrovic and a huge library of archives.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 15:00
Admission: free