Ivan Generalić

Ivan Generalić (December 21, 1914 – November 27, 1992) was a Croatian naïve art painter.

Generalić was born in Hlebine near Koprivnica. In elementary school, painting lessons were his greatest joy and as a child he used to earn money. He mostly drew with pencil on paper bags and some of these sketches were seen by Krsto Hegedušić, at the time (1930) just a student of the art academy, later a professor. Hegedušić was impressed with Generalić's work and organized Generalić's first public art exhibition, held in 1931 in the Zagreb Art pavilion. Positive critiques and contacts at the time led to a new era of not only Croatian, but also world art as well.

After World War II, in 1945 he became a member of ULUH (society of Croatian artists). In 1953 he exhibited in Paris, where he lived and painted for a few months. In 1959 he painted "The Deer Wedding" - his most valuable work, according to followers of the Croatian naïve art world.

Generalić has a large number of followers, beside his colleagues who form the first generation - Franjo Mraz and Mirko Virius. His second generation followers are Franjo Filipović, Dragan Gaži, Josip Generalić, Ivan Večeraj.

Quotes

:"He was born by the land. He possesses its sweetness, wisdom and charm, and he needs no other guides."
R.I.P.

External links

* [http://www.generalic.com www.generalic.com]
* [http://www.artnet.com/artist/559195/ivan-generalic.html Artnet.com]