Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.38003/zrffs.14.9
Osijek in Caricature in the Caricatures of Milan Tolić
Dubravka Kuščević
orcid.org/0000-0002-4572-9933
; University of Split, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Marija Brajčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2440-7724
; University of Split, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Abstract
Milan Tolić (Split, September 1, 1899 – November 20, 1990) was a painter, stage designer, pedagogue and caricaturist from Split, whose caricature opus has not been studied sufficiently. The paper analyses Tolić’s album of caricatures named Osijek in Caricature which was printed in Građanska tiskara in Osijek in 1940 and was based on painter’s original drawings. Tolić’s album is a collection of drawings categorized into groups: actors, lawyers, doctors, members of the Chamber of Commerce, professors, industrialists, merchants, craftspeople, policeofficers, city clerks, innkeepers and bankers. There are three hundred faces presented on 187 pages in fifteen group and two hundred twenty-eight individual caricatures. Tolić’s album of drawings presents mostly caricatures done for the most part in pen, and some were done in pencil and ink. From the technical standpoint all the caricatures were done in a similar manner – Tolić’s drawing in the album is recognizable and readable. The author is presented as a skillful artist and keen observer, expertly recording figures in motion in easy rhythm by summarizing the lines of a moving figure. The outline of the drawing runs in longer uninterrupted lines, and the structural lines are sometimes providing texture of materials in their contrasted relationships. The characters are presented full face and in profile, and the caricatural characters are often drawn performing the work typical for their profession. Tolić builds his artistic style mostly on the whole figure, but directs his personal artistic attention to the head, immensely rich and interesting in its artistic content, which he deforms, corrects and changes until he finds the traits which best fit the character of the models drawn. Thus, the irony expressed in the excessive artistic style is not restricted to the outward appearance, but also in an emotional communication, although the persons are primarily presented physically through their deformed excessiveness. The group caricatures in the album communicate to the public through the flourishing dictionary of the line, all built upon a funny and satirical basis in the comedy of line and form, but also in the humor of gestures and grimaces. The album Osijek in Caricature is in fact the presentation of Osijek of the late Thirties of the Twentieth century in its intimate spheres in the relations of time, space and people, whereby the author successfully refers to the political, social and public lives of Osijek. Tolić’s caricatures impress by their sincere light-hearted humor, which good-naturedly mock the caricatured characters. The album Osijek in Caricature is a valuable contribution of Milan Tolić to our visual arts of caricatural expression.
Keywords
Milan Tolić; painter from Split; album of caricatures; Osijek; 1930; caricature
Hrčak ID:
267516
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2021.
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