Well of Life
It was created by Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović and is made of bronze and granite under the influence of Impressionism and Secession.
It is the first masterpiece by Ivan Meštrović that earned a central place in the main exhibition hall at the spring exhibition of the Vienna Secession in 1906.
Installed in front of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb in 1912., the sculpture depicts people in various phases of life, crouching and twisting their bodies around a well, symbolizing life, youth, and the source of eternal beauty.
Well of Life is the most important work from the young phase of the sculptor Ivan Meštrović. It was created in Vienna in 1905 under the influence of Auguste Rodin‘s Impressionism and Viennese Secession (Art Nouveau) on the absolute level of European symbolism.
This circular sculpture features ten life-size naked bodies, including a child, a couple in love, and an older man. All of them contort and twist their bodies around a central well with water.
The figures are arranged in a way that shows the purpose of the well as a symbol of life and joy, which is exemplified by the young characters who are hugging and kissing. In contrast, the old man appears at the end of his life and looks into the well with grief.
The strong facial expressions of the figures reveal the joy of life, which alternates rhythmically. Although the figures’ bodies appear to be frozen in motion, they are watching their reflections in the water.
The sculpture portrays the natural cycle of human life, from birth to death.
Location
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is situated on the slopes of Medvednica mountain, in the Carpathian Basin, and on the banks of the Sava river. Zagreb has a rich and diverse history, culture, and architecture that reflect its long and turbulent past.
ExploreSecession
Till the end of World War I several art movements and styles coexisted in Croatia, but all avant-garde movements were absent. That is why the greatest artworks of that period were done in the spirit of 19th-century art, including the most important examples of Vienna Secession style: the Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb in 1901, Kallina House in 1903, the National Library in 1912 were built in Zagreb, while Sulphurous Bath in 1903, and the Croatian National Theatre in 1908, were built in Split.
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