Zlatko Šulentić

In his later work Šulentić painted religious motifs, landscapes and city views, but he remained foremost a portrait painter. He taught drawing in school and at the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb. He travelled extensively, and published a book "People, Places, Infinity" (Ljudi, krajevi, beskraj).

• Name — Zlatko Šulentić • Born — 16 March 1893 • Birthplace — Glina, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary • Died — 9 July 1971 • Place of death — Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia • Known for — Oil painting, graphic art • Training — Academy of Fine Arts, Munich • Movement — secessionism, expressionism

Zlatko Šulentić was born 16 March 1893 in Glina. When he was three years old, his mother died. In later years he would tell his wife that she lived in his memory "like a shadow sitting with him on the couch." He attended high-school at Karlovac, then in 1910 took classes given by Robert Auer at the Provisional School for Arts and Crafts in Zagreb. His training continued in Munich, firstly private lessons with Heinrich Knirr, then at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (1911–1914). While still a student, in 1913 he visited Paris. Šulentić exhibited for the first time at the inaugural Zagreb Spring Salon of 1916, when he was one of the organizers. During the period 1921-1927 he exhibited with the Independent Group of Artists (Grupa nezavisnih umjetnika) whose other members were Ljubo Babić, Vladimir Becić, Jozo Kljaković, Frano Kršinić, Ivan Meštrović, Jerolim Miše, Marin Studin and Vladimir Varlaj. He also held solo exhibits in Gallery Ulrich in 1921, 1927, and 1941. From an early age, he travelled extensively, initially in the company of his father, a physician. He travelled within Croatia: around Glina and Karlovac, Zagreb, Japetić, Plešivica and the Adriatic coast, and later Šulentić would visit most European countries, across North Africa, North America, South America, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia and Egypt. Impressions from these trips were recorded in sketches and watercolors, with a series of notes which were later published in his book "People, Places, Infinity" (1971). Šulentić taught life drawing in school, and later became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb. In 1947, due to the politics of the time, his position at the Academy was terminated. At the age of 54, he found himself retired on a small pension at a time when there was limited opportunity to exhibit and earn a living from art. Šulentić devoted his time to painting, and in 1953 resumed his travels. By 1959, he began to receive recognition for his work in major Croatian exhibitions. In 1961 he was decorated with the Order of the Republic. The Rijeka Museum of Modern Art held an exhibition marking his 70th anniversary, and other galleries followed: Zorin Dom, Karlovac, Strossmayer Galleries in Zagreb, Art Salon in Osijek, Gallery of Fine Arts in Split, and Matica hrvatska. From 1964 to 1968 Šulentić worked for the Franciscan monastery at Ksaver in Zagreb. His picture of the "Sermon on the Mount" (Propovijedi na gori) includes his last self-portrait. In 1969 he received the Vladimir Nazor Award for lifetime achievement in the visual arts. Zlatko Šulentić died in Zagreb on 9 July 1971.

His paintings include • Late Autumn (Kasna Jesen), 1913 • Autoportret, 1915 • Iz Maksimira, 1915 • Man with a Red Beard (Čovjek s crvenom bradom), 1916 • Portret dr Stjepana Pelca, 1917 • Primorska Street (Primorska ulica), 1918 • Tunis, 1920 • My Father (Moj otac), 1925 • Portret arh. Pičmana, 1926 • Self-Portrait (Autoportret), 1929 • Place du Tertre, 1930 • Banka, 1932 • Girl with Hat (Djevojčica sa šeširom), 1934 • S. Giovanni i Paolo, Venecija, 1935 • Sambor Landscape (Samoborski kraj), 1938 • Podne, 1939 • Portret Andreje Wendler-Vojta, 1946 • Vrbnik, 1947 • Sv. Donat, 1949 • Behind the Theatre I (Iza kazališta I), 1952 • Fontana di Trevi, 1957 • Anthony (Ante), 1958 • View from đipan (Pogled sa đipana), 1962 • Đipan Fields (Đipansko polje), 1962 • Self-portrait (Autoportret), 1963 • Sto stuba, 1964 • Plješivički vinogradi II, 1966 • Staru svjetiljku, 1966 • Đipanski bor, 1967 • Ampirsku uru, 1968 • Silba, 1968 • Napuštena barka, 1969 • Dijete, 1970 • Raspeće, 1971

During his lifetime, Šulentić exhibited his work in solo and group shows, most notably in the Zagreb Spring Salon from 1916, and with the Independent Group of Artists in the 1920s.

Recent exhibitions of his work include: • 2011 Retrospective Exhibition, Art Pavilion, Zagreb • 2010 Drawings of Zlatko Šulentić, Galerija Ulrich, Zagreb • 2006 Zlatko Šulentić: Indirect Portrait, Adris Gallery, Rovinj • 1969 Strossmayer Gallery, Zagreb

• 2006 Croatian Collection – Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje, Skopje