Croatian Naive Art
Known all over the world over for its magnificent intense colours, simple farm life subject matter and for the curious technique of painting in reverse style on a glass plate. This technique was developed by a few local farmer artists in the small rural village Hlebine, near the somewhat larger town in north Croatia Koprivnica.
Naive Art egg (Zagreb)
In winter times the labour on the land was minimal and in their spare time the farmers applied themselves to all kinds of handy works, like wood cuttings, the making of baskets and painting. As these farmers did not go to an art school their paintings were called Naive Art or unschooled art. As the winter time was the period in which they painted is maybe the reason for some of the magical winter scenes with brightly coloured skies, and flamboyantly bright houses covered with a soft thick layer of snow.
Gallery of Josip Generalic, Hlebine
You can see this naive art close up at several places. There is the Croatian Museum of Naive Art in the Croatian capital Zagreb. But to really experience the local surroundings of the farmland that inspired these naive artists you can visit the village Hlebine. In the village you can visit the Gallery of Naive Art and the Gallery of Josip Generalic, you will be helped by enthusiastic staff and can ask them for more information about the subject of Naive art.
Gallery of Naive Art in Hlebine
When in Hlebine you can drive around the region along the Naive Gallery route as displayed in front of the Gallery of Naive art in Hlebine. For more information and other things to see and do in this beautiful rural Croatian region visit the following websites:
Tourist office of central Podravina
Tourist office of the region Podravina-Prigorje
Naive gallery route Hlebine, Podravina and Prigorje
