Ivan Mestrovic
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
One of the few American students of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin, Malvina Hoffman also studied equestrian sculpture briefly with the Croatian artist Ivan Mestrovic (1881-1962). While she worked with him, Mestrovic did her portrait and Hoffman modeled what eventually became this over-life-size statue of her mentor. Clad in an open-collared smock and loose trousers, the figure peers intently at the lump of clay waiting to be modeled in his hand. This monumental image portrays Mestrovic, who later settled in the United States, as a heroic artist at the height of his creative powers.
Caption
Malvina Hoffman American, 1885–1966. Ivan Mestrovic, 1925. Bronze, 86 5/8 x 42 1/8 x 31 1/2 in. (220 x 107 x 80 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Felix M. Warburg and Edward C. Blum, 26.519. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 26.519_bw.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Ivan Mestrovic
Date
1925
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
86 5/8 x 42 1/8 x 31 1/2 in. (220 x 107 x 80 cm)
Signatures
Inscribed on proper left front, top corner of base: "MALViNA HOFFMAN / 1925"
Markings
Foundry mark inscribed on proper left side at bottom of base: "ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N-Y-"
Credit Line
Gift of Felix M. Warburg and Edward C. Blum
Accession Number
26.519
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
Who is this?
We have many interesting sculptures by Malvina Hoffman. This is Ivan Mestrovic, a Croatian artist who was Hoffman's mentor. She shows him in his artist's smock, holding a lump of clay that he might make into a work of sculpture. She is portraying her teacher as a heroic artist at the height of his creative powers.This guy looks like he is struggling on Tinder!
Haha! His name is Ivan Mestrovic and he was a sculptor. His student Malvina Hoffman used him as a model for one of her projects, which later became this over life-size figure of Mestrovic. While it does look like he is puzzled with a dating app, if you look closely you will see he actually holds a mold of clay, showing his role as an artist.Can you tell me about Martinique Woman?
That is "Martinique Woman" by Malvina Hoffman. This work is one of a number of portrait heads based on Malvina Hoffman’s travels through Africa about 1928. It is carved out of black metamorphic stone. There is also a large-scale sculpture by Hoffman on view in Visible Storage, it is of one of her sculpture teachers, Ivan Mestrovic.Tell me more.
This sculpture is by Malvina Hoffman and dates to 1925. It depicts a man named Ivan Mestrovic, a Croatian artist who served as Hoffman's mentor early in her career. You may notice that he is holding a lump of clay and wearing an artist's smock. His powers as a sculptor in his own right are on full display!
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