Ivan Meštrović in Zagreb

About Ivan Meštrović in Zagreb

By the ULTIMATE Zagreb Editorial Team

Ivan Meštrović was the greatest Croatian sculptor of the 20th century, celebrated across Europe and America, and Zagreb is full of his work, from the Well of Life to the round exhibition pavilion that bears his name.

From shepherd to sculptor

Born in 1883, Meštrović grew up in the Dalmatian hinterland, trained in Vienna and became famous across Europe before he was thirty. He later lived and taught in the United States.

Where to see his work

In front of the Croatian National Theatre stands his Well of Life. North of the centre, the round exhibition hall he designed, the Home of Croatian Fine Artists, known as the Meštrović Pavilion, is still used for exhibitions. His sculptures stand in parks, churches and at Mirogoj Cemetery.

You can walk through Zagreb from one Meštrović to the next.

His Upper Town home

Between the wars, Meštrović lived and worked in a house in the Upper Town, now the Meštrović Atelier, with his sculpture displayed in the rooms and in the peaceful courtyard.

Our advice: visit the Meštrović Atelier in the Upper Town, then walk down to the Well of Life in front of the National Theatre. If you go on to Split, the Meštrović Gallery there is unmissable.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Ivan Meštrović in Zagreb before you go.