Stjepan Gračan: Vladimir Nazor

(inauguracija biste 1973. godine)

Vladimir Nazor, književnik (Postire na Braču, 30. V. 1876 – Zagreb, 19. VI. 1949). Pučku školu pohađao je na Braču, a klasičnu i realnu gimnaziju u Splitu 1886 – 1894. Na Filozofskom fakultetu u Grazu 1902. diplomirao je prirodne znanosti. Bio je suplent u splitskoj gimnaziji, potom profesor i ravnatelj srednjih škola u Zadru (1901 – 1903), Pazinu (1903 – 1906), Kopru (1906 – 1908), Kastvu (1908 – 1918) i Zagrebu (1918). U Crikvenici je od 1920. bio upraviteljem dječjega doma, 1926. profesor u Sušaku, potom se vratio u Crikvenicu do 1931. U Zagrebu je bio i upravitelj dječjega sirotišta, a umirovljen je 1933. kao gimnazijski ravnatelj. U prosincu se 1942. godine s I. G. Kovačićem priključio partizanima, od 1943. predsjednik je Izvršnog odbora Zemaljskog antifašističkog vijeća narodnog oslobođenja Hrvatske (ZAVNOH), a nakon Drugog svjetskog rata do smrti predsjednik Prezidija Hrvatskoga sabora. Prve stihove objavio je 1893. u zadarskome Narodnom listu. Pjesme je pisao na standardnome jeziku i čakavici (najčešće mješavina bračke, istarske i kastavske čakavštine), sa strogo vezanim stihom, često ditirampske intonacije. U njegovu se opusu prožimlju domoljublje, fantastično i realno, alegorija i folklor, mit i legenda, drevno, suvremeno i buduće te prosvjetiteljstvo i modernistički artizam. U prvoj stvaralačkoj fazi bio je nacionalno angažiran i zaokupljen kolektivnim, mitologijom i legendom, hrvatskom i slavenskom povijesnom motivikom (Slavenske legende, 1900; Živana, 1902. i Knjiga o kraljevima hrvatskijem, 1904) te nadahnut Biblijom (Lirika, 1910. i Nove pjesme, 1913). U sljedećoj fazi prevladava refleksija (Intima i Pjesni ljuvene, obje 1915), a naglašena je unutarnja katarza i alegorija (ep Utva zlatokrila, 1916; priče Stoimena, 1916. i Pjesme o četiri arhanđela, 1927). U doba avangardnih pokreta, osobito ekspresionizma, bio je bliže realističkom transponiranju zbilje u pjesmama Niza od koralja (1922), prozama Priče iz djetinjstva (1924) i Pričama s ostrva, iz grada i sa planine (1927). Socijalnom tematikom bavi se 1930-ih i 1940-ih u djelima Pjesme o bratu Gavanu i seki Siromaštini (1931) i Zagrebačke novele (1942). Istodobno eksperimentira u poeziji (Deseterci, 1930. i Topuske elegije, 1933) te piše dnevnike, studije, oglede, putopise (Putopisi, 1942) i roman o povijesti rodnoga Brača Pastir Loda (1938 – 1939). Partizanska faza i neposredno poraće ponovno donose prožimanje kolektivnog i intimnog: Pjesme partizanke (1944), dnevnik S partizanima (1945), poema Ahasver (1945) i dr. Bračko djetinjstvo te život i rad u Istri na osobit način obilježavaju piščevo stvaralaštvo. Kao književnik i pedagog uključio se u program istarskog narodnog preporoda, a Istra je sa svojim ljudima, krajolikom i civilizacijskim slojevima presudno utjecala na njegovo kulturološko, nacionalno i političko sazrijevanje. Pišući za odrasle, djecu i mladež Nazor istarske teme obrađuje u cjelovitim pjesničkim i proznim djelima (od pripovijedaka do romana) te putopisima, esejima, člancima i političkoj publicistici. Jezgru njegova istarskog ciklusa čine poema Krvava košulja: uspomene iz doline Raše (1905) kao poticaj prosvjećivanju i pobuda svijesti istarskih ljudi, narodno-prosvjetiteljski Krvavi dani: historijski roman iz istarske prošlosti (1908) s klasno-nacionalnom i ljubavnom pričom, Veli Jože: istarska priča (1908) kao prikaz nacionalne borbe u simboličko-metaforičkom naslovnom liku iz predaje, zatim bajkovite, lirične i alegorijske, angažirane i modernističke Istarske priče (1913) i pjesme Istarski gradovi (1930) te Boškarina (Istarska priča, 1928), proza za mladež Istarski bolovi (1930), Stare istarske balade (1946) i dr.

Autor ili naručitelj poprsja pjesnika, pisca i profesora u Hrvatskoj gimnaziji u Pazinu (1903 – 1906) za njegov je prikaz odabrao Nazora kao partizana zaogrnutog vojničkim ogrtačem, šinjelom i s partizanskom kapom, titovkom na glavi. Stara dob portretiranog očitovana je u upalim očima, uskom, mršavom i izboranom licu te naglašena fokusiranjem na glavu i na šinjel s voluminoznim, krutim naborima koji upotpunjuju opori doživljaj čovjeka iznemoglog od životnih napora i poodmaklih godina.

Stjepan Gračan, akademski kipar i pedagog (Prugovac, Općina Kloštar Podravski, 28. II. 1941 – Zagreb, 6. veljače 2022). Na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Zagrebu diplomirao je kiparstvo u klasi prof. Antuna Augustinčića, a potom je 1968. završio i poslijediplomski studij. Od 1969. do 1971. bio je suradnik majstorske radionice Krste Hegedušića. Bio je suosnivač i član likovne skupine Biafra djelatne od 1970. do 1978., osnovao je Likovnu akademiju u Osijeku, a od 1988. do umirovljenja 2011. godine bio je predavač na ALU u Zagrebu. Plodonosan i kreativan autor Gračan ostavio je značajan trag u hrvatskoj skulpturi. U Pazinu je njegov tvaran trag poprsje Vladimira Nazora.

Vladimir Nazor

Sculptor: Stjepan Gračan, inauguration of the bust: 1973

Vladimir Nazor was a writer (Postira on the island of Brač, May 30, 1876 – Zagreb, June 19, 1949). He attended public school on Brač, and classical and realistic high school in Split from 1886 to 94. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Graz in 1902 with a degree in natural sciences. He was a substitute at Split high school, then professor and director of secondary schools in Zadar (1901–03), Pazin (1903–06), Koper (1906–08), Kastav (1908–18) and Zagreb (1918).  He was the manager of a children’s home from 1920 in Crikvenica, then in 1926 he was a professor in Sušak, returning to Crikvenica until 1931. In Zagreb, he was also the manager of a children’s orphanage, and retired in 1933 as a high school principal. In December 1942, he joined the partisans with I. G. Kovačić, and from 1943 was the president of the Executive Board of State Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia, and after World War II until death, he was President of the Presidium of the Croatian Parliament. He published his first verses in 1893 in Zadar’s Narodni list. He wrote poems in the standard language and Chakavian dialect (most often with a mixture of Brač, Istrian and Kastav Chakavian dialect), with strictly bound verse, often with dithyramb intonation. Patriotism, fiction and real, allegory and folklore, myth and legend, ancient, contemporary and future as well as enlightenment and modernist artistry pervade his oeuvre. In the first creative phase, he was nationally engaged and preoccupied with collective mythology and legend, Croatian and Slavic historical motifs (Slavenske legende, 1900; Živana, 1902 and Knjiga o kraljevima hrvatskijem, 1904) and was also inspired by the Bible (Lirika, 1910 and Nove pjesme, 1913). In the subsequent phase, reflection predominates (Intima and Pjesni ljuvene, both 1915), and inner catharsis and allegory are emphasized (the epic Utva zlatokrila, 1916; stories Stoimena, 1916 and Pjesme o četiri arhanđela, 1927). In the era of avant-garde movements, especially expressionism, he was closer to the realistic transposition of reality in his poems Niza od koralja (1922), prose Priče iz djetinjstva (1924) and Priče s ostrva, iz grada i s planine (1927). He dealt with social issues in the 1930s and 1940s in the works Pjesme o bratu Gavanu i seki Siromaštini (1931) and Zagrebačke novele (1942). At the same time, he experimented with poetry (Deseterci, 1930 and Topuske elegije, 1933) and wrote diaries, studies, essays, travelogues (Putopisi, 1942) and a novel about the history of his native Brač, Pastir Loda (1938–39). The Partisan phase and the immediate post-war period once again brought the permeation of the collective and the intimate: Pjesme partizanke (1944), the diary S partizanima (1945), the poem Ahasver (1945) and others. His childhood spent on Brač and his life and work in Istria, mark the writer’s creativity in a special way. As a writer and pedagogue, he joined the program of Istrian national revival, and Istria with its people, landscape and layers of civilization had a decisive influence on his cultural, national and political maturation. Writing for adults, children and youth, Nazor covers the Istrian theme in complete works of poetry and prose (from short stories to novels) as well as travelogues, essays, articles and political opinion journalism. The core of his Istrian cycle consists of the poem Krvava košulja: uspomene iz doline Raše (1905) as a stimulus to enlightenment and awakening the consciousness of the people of Istria, the folk enlightenment Krvavi dani: historijski roman iz istarske prošlosti (1908) with a class-national and love story, Veli Jože: istarska priča (1908 ) as a representation of the national struggle in the symbolic and metaphorical title character from tradition, then the fairy-tale, lyrical and allegorical, engaged and modernist Istarske priče (1913) and the poems Istarski gradovi (1930), and Boškarina (Istarska priča, 1928), prose for young people Istarski bolovi (1930), Stare istarske balade (1946) and others.

Sculptor or patron of the bust of the poet, writer and professor at Pazin’s Croatian High School (1903–06), chose Nazor for his depiction as a partisan wrapped in a military cloak – an overcoat and with a partisan cap – the Titovka on his head. The old age of the portrayed person manifested in the sunken eyes, narrow, thin and wrinkled face is emphasized by focusing on the head and on the overcoat with its voluminous, rigid folds that complete the strong impression of a man exhausted from life’s efforts and advanced years.

Stjepan Gračan was an academic sculptor and pedagogue (Prugovac, Municipality of Kloštar Podravski, February 28, 1941 – Zagreb, February 6, 2022). At the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, he graduated in sculpture under prof. Antun Augustinčić, then completed his postgraduate studies in 1968.  From 1969 to 1971 he was an associate in the master workshop of Krsto Hegedušić. He was a co-founder and member of the art group Biafra, active from 1970-78; he founded the Art Academy in Osijek, and was a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb from 1988 until his retirement in 2011. A prolific, creative author, Gračan left a significant mark on Croatian sculpture, whilst his material mark is the bust of Vladimir Nazor in Pazin.