{"id":2436,"date":"2020-11-30T16:17:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T16:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgallery.hazu.hr\/izlozba\/svecanost-otvorenja-1884\/?page_id=2436"},"modified":"2021-05-20T17:18:09","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T15:18:09","slug":"povijest-utemeljenja-galerije-i-gradenje-palace-en","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sgallery.hazu.hr\/izlozba\/svecanost-otvorenja-1884\/en\/povijest-utemeljenja-galerije-i-gradenje-palace-en\/","title":{"rendered":"The history of the founding of the Strossmayer Gallery and the construction of the Academy palace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Strossmayer\u2019s interest and care for works of art is attested to at the very start of his appointment as Bishop of \u0110akovo in the 1850s. He organized the restoration of the artworks on site, along with acquiring new ones, an activity he would pursue with ever greater intensity over the following decade. His acquisition of artworks at first resulted from his wish to decorate the Bishop\u2019s palace, but soon grew into the much more ambitious task of breathing life into the mature decision to \u201cprovide his people with a museum of paintings, which would be their education and inspiration, enriching their hearts and perfecting their already inherent taste in art\u201d. During the next decade, Strossmayer acquired over one hundred works of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"biskup<\/a>
Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, around 1880 (property of: The Museum of Arts and Crafts)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Announcing two years in advance that the Academy would inherit \u201call his paintings and other artworks\u201d, Strossmayer sent a deed of donation with a letter on 2nd October 1868 proclaiming that \u201call paintings and artworks that he owns and will come to own be bequeathed to the Yugoslav Academy upon his death\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Strossmayer<\/a>
Article “Strossmayer Mecenas\u201c published in the daily newspaper Pozor<\/em>, the political newsletter of the National Party, on 20th March 1866. The text reports on the Bishop’s donation of bonds to the Academy’s foundation intended for “artistic purposes”, and on the letter that he had sent to the Academy’s financial council on the occasion, in which he revealed that the Academy would inherit “all his paintings and other artworks”.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[\u2026]<\/span> Our people are aware that the Yugoslav Academy has an art department, and according to the Academy’s rules, that department will work on acquiring funds that will enable it to function as a proper foundation concerned with art. For these artistic purposes of the Yugoslav Academy, the esteemed Bishop of \u0110akovo, doctor Josip Juraj Strossmayer, gave the Academy’s financial council one hundred bonds of \u201cAssociazione Dalmatica\u201d, each worth 200 forints. Furthermore, Mr. Strossmayer also sent a hand-written letter on the same occasion in which he declared that the Yugoslav Academy would be the heiress of all his paintings and other artworks.<\/em> [\u2026]<\/span>(in: “Strossmayer Mecenas”, Pozor<\/em>, 20th March 1866)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"Darovnica<\/a>
J. J. Strossmayer’s deed of donation, 2nd October 1868 (property of: The Archives of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts). Fulfilling his previously proclaimed intention, the Bishop gives all paintings and other artworks that he currently owns, as well as all those that he would own in the future, to the Academy, which will receive them upon his death. The deed of donation was accompanied by a list of 113 artworks, but was later followed by a more comprehensive list with 4 more entries. The latter is known as Strossmayer’s list, and is used today as the first inventory of the Gallery. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fulfilling my oath from 14th March 1866, with this I bequeath to the Yugoslav Academy in Zagreb complete possession all my paintings and artworks that are here listed, as well as those that I will come to acquire over time. This gift should be passed on upon my death. At the same time, I relinquish all rights to revoke this gift; and issue this here deed of donation, signed by the presidency and administration of the Yugoslav Academy as evidence of its acceptance.<\/em>
In \u0110akovo on 2nd October 1868.<\/em>

Josip Juraj Strosmajer m. p. bishop and patron of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts<\/em>

[signatories<\/em>] Josip Mati\u0107 m. p. provost, as witness; Juraj Tordinac m. p. canon, as witness; Dr. Fr. Ra\u010dki m. p. president of the Academy; Gj. Dani\u010di\u0107 m. p. Academy secretary<\/em>(transcript of J. J. Strossmayer\u2019s deed of donation, 2nd October 1868)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

After visiting the Archaeological department of the National Museum in early July 1874, which was then, just like the Academy itself, located in the National Home Palace on Opati\u010dka Street 18, the Bishop expressed his grievance over the fact that there was no special location that could house a painting gallery. On this occasion, he requested that one be built as an additional floor of the National Home Palace as soon as possible, a project he would finance himself, and in which he would transfer his collection upon completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Narodni<\/a>
The National Home Palace on Opati\u010dka Street, 1864 (property of: The Zagreb City Museum). The Dra\u0161kovi\u0107 Palace was turned into the National Home Palace in the yeat 1846, becoming the seat of the National Museum, the Croatian-Slavonian business society, the Illyrian Library, and the Casino. Known simply as the Hall because of its largest hall that was used for ceremonial dance, various social gatherings, and assemblies. From the year 1866 until the completion of the palace on Zrinski Square, the Hall also housed the Academy. After the Academy moved out, the space was allocated to judicial institutions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Strossmayer modified his original bequest of artworks to the Academy with a deed of donation on 25th March 1875, in which he expresses the wish that the \u201ccollection be immediately transferred to Zagreb where it will serve not only friends of art and the widening of good taste among the public, but also as support for the university, which cannot exist for long without a chair of art history. A collection of artworks is beneficial not only for classes, but also for higher crafts\u201d. Strossmayer also expressed his hope \u201cthat the collection of artworks would instigate new thoughts on art in our nation, such as those incited by the Academy in the area of science\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vienac<\/a>
Bishop Strossmayer’s deed of donation, 26th [i. e. 25th] March 1875, Vienac<\/em>, 3rd April 1875<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aware of the fact that the Academy does not have any space it which it could house the collection, nor the sufficient funds, Strossmayer decided to donate 40.000 forints for the construction of an edifice which could house the Gallery, as well as the Academy itself, \u201cif they accept\u201d, hoping that the City administration, the Royal Provincial Government, and wealthy individuals would contribute to this cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n