Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/m8vqrtxj59
Baldo Kosić from a Different Stance: Curator and Shaper of the Artistic Heritage of Dubrovnik
Sanja Žaja Vrbica
orcid.org/0000-0001-6251-1509
; University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
Current perception of the significance of Baldo Kosić in late-nineteenth- and earlytwentieth-century Dubrovnik owes mainly to his contribution to the development of the Dubrovnik Museum (Domorodni muzej), manifested essentially in his steadfast curation
of the natural history collections by acquiring local species and disseminating data on the natural features of the Dubrovnik region. More recent scholarly publications also mention his role in countless public activities in Dubrovnik, such as the city preparations for the reception of Emperor Francis Joseph I, re-erection of Orlando's Column, erection of monument to the poet Ivan Gundulić, the work of Ivan Rendić, the shaping of the religious and public décor within the urban space, in which he inclined towards the then popular historicism, strongly embedded in local tradition.
Yet, in addition to the mentioned activities, during his long and fruitful life Kosić was deeply devoted to the preservation of movable heritage, which was often abandoned, fallen to disrepair or sold beyond the borders due mainly to the absence of adequate valorisation and protection. With a rarely encountered work zeal and exceptional professional modesty, he has left a significant stamp in the cultural history of Dubrovnik. With an important contribution in that field, which until now has been mentioned only fragmentarily, he deserves a prominent place among the founders of the modern cultural infrastructure of Dubrovnik.
Keywords
Baldo Kosić; curator; Dubrovnik; 19th and 20th century; artistic activities; Dubrovnik Museum; Mihanović Fountain; Gradac Park; Orlando's Column
Hrčak ID:
337508
URI
Publication date:
5.11.2025.
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