Vjekoslav Karas

Croatian painter (1821–1858)

Vjekoslav Karas (19 May 1821 - 5 July 1858) was a Croatian painter, considered a pioneer of a new era of Croatian painting and art in general.

Life

Born in Karlovac, Croatia, Karas was sent to be educated in Italy in 1838.^[1] While in Rome, he drew inspiration from biblical and religious themes, painting Mother with Moses on the river bank. While in Italy he developed a love for music and learned to play the flute and the guitar while composing songs in both Italian and Croatian.^[1] He began focusing his craft on portraits, painting Roman woman playing a lute and Roman commoner before returning to Karlovac in 1848.^[2] Upon his return, he continued painting portraits and began painting local country life and local folk.^[1] He moved to Zagreb and began teaching. From 1851-18522 he traveled to Bosnia where he painted a portrait of Ottoman field marshal and governor Omer-paša Latas and his daughter.^[3]

Karas suffered periodically from depression and had even attempted suicide.^[4] He briefly stayed with bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Đakovo, but left soon after his suicide attempt.^[4] Still suffering from depression and living in poverty, Karas committed suicide by drowning in the Korana river in his native Karlovac.^[1]

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vjekoslav Karas.

Roman woman playing a lute
Mother with Moses on the river bank
Child
Portrait of Josefine Barac
Portrait of Miško Krešić
Portrait of Ana Krešić

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Karas, Vjekoslav". Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža.
^ Bulat-Simić 1948, p. 53.
^ Bulat-Simić 1948, p. 55.
^ ^a ^b "KARAS, Vjekoslav". Hrvatski Biografski Leksikon. leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža.