Original scientific paper
The Split Circle of Caricaturists (1900-1940)
Frano Dulibić
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The history of caricature in Dalmatia begins with Emanuel Vidović who may be considered as the initiator of this form of visual art in Dalmatia. Vidović exhibited his caricatures for the first time in Split in 1901, and, along with Ante Katunarić and Virgil Meneghello Dinčić he was a founder of the most important Dalmatian humorist paper, Duje Balavac (1908-1912). In addition to the founders Antun Danilo, Zvonimir Rakamarić, and Petar Mitrović were among the paper's contributors. Anđeo Uvodić, a painter and caricaturist was initially linked with the paper, but he left it after the first issue over a disagreement with the rest of the founders. Nevertheless he was one of the most productive caricaturists in Dalmatia with five one-man exhibitions, two maps and one album of caricatures, and many caricatures published in various newspapers. In addition to caricatures of high artistic value, Uvodić was also the author of several essays on the art of caricature.
In the first revival of Duje Balavac (1921-1923) the original contributors were replaced, with the exception of Virgil Meneghello Dinčić, by Antun Zuppa and Ivo Tijardović. The first phase was characterized by Secession, while the second one features of the Art Deco. The founders of the Duje Balavac and Anđeo Uvodić could be considered members of the inner circle of Split caricature, whereas among members of a wider, outer circle one can count other contributors to the paper, as well as a number of interesting caricaturists publishing in other papers and journals, who also showed caricatures at exhibitions, such as Ivan Mirković, Milan Tolić, ]oko Knežević, Božidar Matas, and Vinko Foretić.
The caricaturists of the Split circle have many things in common. Most obviously, they all incline toward portrait caricature, whereas situational, meaning also political, caricature is mostly absent in the first half of the century. This research has shown that most of the members of the circle were influenced by Central European, i.e., German and Austrian publications, the Simplicissimus in particular. Most of the caricaturists were trained, or spent some time, in Austria or Germany.
The caricaturists of the Split circle most often portray entire figure, less frequently half-figures or faces. The contributors to the Duje Balavac shunned strong emotions, such as fury, screaming or crying, or even explicit laughing. The founders of the paper remained within the sphere of mild transformation, but younger contributors changed the true features more boldly emphasizing disproportions of body and facial features. The founders looked for an angle from which the nature of the person portrayed would reveal its comic side by itself, whereas the younger generation pursued a simpler, flatter style, with a higher degree of stylization.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
166740
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2003.
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