The Collection consists of three subordinate collections. The first group consists of drawings, graphics and paintings, the second consists of sculpture, and the third consists of posters. Most are works by renowned Croatian painters who directly participated in the Second World War or supported the antifascist resistance movement in other ways. A high number of artists of all generations are represented here, from the oldest members of the socially-engaged Earth group (Marijan Detoni, Đuro Tiljak, Antun Augustinčić, Oton Postružnik, Vilim Svečnjak, Vanja Radauš, Franjo Mraz), whose members had already affirmed themselves in the pre-war period, to artists of the middle and younger generations, who had only just completed their formal study or were still being schooled (Nikola Rieser, Zlatko Prica, Edo Murtić, Vlado Kristl, Cvijeta Job, and others). Thanks to the high number of artists, the diversity of themes, techniques and artistic styles, parts of this Collection have been published in international catalogues of resistance art (for example, Arte della resistenza nel mondo, Milan, 1975; Plakat Rewolucyjny 1917-1967, Moscow, 1967; Signs of Times, Brno, 2000).

The Collection additionally includes the works by the proponents of classical modernism and other artists (Ljubo Babić, Emanuel Vidović, Oskar Herman, Nasta Rojc, Ivan Meštrović, Omer Mujadžić, Vladimir Becić, Antun Motika...). Some of the artistic materials from the War Museum and Archives of the Independent State of Croatia (Petar Papp, Ivo Auer, Gustav Likan) have also been preserved.

The poster section holds a considerable inventory of materials from the Second World War and Croatia’s Homeland War by eminent artists and designers (Edo Murtić, Zlatko Prica, Vlado Kristl, Boris Bućan, Boris Ljubičić, Predrag Došen, Nenad Dogan, Alfred Pal).

In more recent years, the Collection has been enhanced with the works of New Tendencies, conceptual and engaged art (Ivan Picelj, Vjenceslav Richter, Aleksandar Srnec, Josip Vaništa, Ivan Kožarić, Sanja Iveković, Mladen Stilinović, Antun Maračić) and the works of respected designers, cartoonists and animators (Mirko Ilić, Dušan Vukotić, Oto Reisinger). These are globally validated personalities whose works deal with the themes from the contemporary reality of Croatia and the world, including numerous social, environmental, political and cultural matters.

Collection Curator

Snježana Pavičić, M.S., Museum Advisor