Happy Birthday Ivan Meštrović from Google Doodle

By 15 August 2013

A nice touch from Google this morning, as the world's most famous and used homepage had a decidedly Split feel.

Today marks 130 years since the birth of world-famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, and the search engine has changed its famous homepage doodle to reflect that fact. 

Ivan Meštrović is synonymous with Split and its culture. He  lived from August 15, 1883 – January 16, 1962 and was a Croatian sculptor and architect. He is renowned as possibly the greatest sculptor of religious subject matter since the Renaissance and the first living person to have a one man show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His work includes perhaps Split's most famous momument, Gregory of Nin at the back of the palace. 

The Ivan Meštrović Gallery in Split, which was formed after his major donation in 1950, includes 86 statues in marble, stone, bronze, wood and gypsum, 17 drawings, and also eight bronze statues in the open garden, 28 reliefs in wood in the kaštelet and one stone crucifix.

Learn more about - and take a tour of - the Meštrović complex in Split here.

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