Exhibition " Searching for Blaise: Vlaho Bukovac (1855-1922) and his Northern Patrons", Mercer Art Gallery, opened in Harrogate, 19th January 2006
"Fox me pozvao u goste. U Harrogateu nas docekaše uprav kraljevski. Nikad takovo bogatstvo vidio nijesam. ..." This is how in his autobiography "My Life", Vlaho Bukovac described his stay in Harrogate. We also find out from the book that, some time around 1880, Bukovac enjoyed friendship of wealthy patrons and that it was an exceptionally fruitful period during which he painted numerous portraits.
Exhibition " Searching for Blaise: Vlaho Bukovac (1855-1922) and his Northern Patrons", Mercer Art Gallery, opened in Harrogate, 19th January 2006
"Fox me pozvao u goste. U Harrogateu nas docekaše uprav kraljevski. Nikad takovo bogatstvo vidio nijesam. ..." This is how in his autobiography "My Life", Vlaho Bukovac described his stay in Harrogate. We also find out from the book that, some time around 1880, Bukovac enjoyed friendship of wealthy patrons and that it was an exceptionally fruitful period during which he painted numerous portraits.
The exhibition " Searching for Blaise: Vlaho Bukovac (1855-1922) and his Northern Patrons" at Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate shows 15 paintings from public galleries and private collections. In addition to celebrating 150 years since Bukovac was born, the aim of the exhibition is to help find other paintings that have disappeared without trace after the sale of the estate left by the industrialist and Bukovac's patron Samson Fox at an auction in 1911. Also exhibited are paintings left by the family of Bukovac's granddaughter Lady Glen. After the London exhibition, these will be permanently displayed at a gallery in Cavtat.
The exhibition has been organised as part of the Partners in Arts Programme which supports the co-operation of the regional museums. In this case it is Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate. After Harrogate, the exhibition will be shown at the gallery of the auction house Bonham's in London. Both exhibitions have been organised at the initiative of Lady Beresford-Peirse who has been looking for Bukovac's paintings in the United Kingdom for a while, in co-operation with the galleries and the Croatian Embassy in London.
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