Galerija Antuna Augustinčića

The Antun Augustinčić Gallery is a museum and sculpture park in Klanjec, a small town in Hrvatsko Zagorje, close to the Slovenian border, and it is devoted to the work of the man who was born here and became one of the best-known Croatian sculptors of the twentieth century. Augustinčić was born in Klanjec in 1900 and died in 1979, and he gave a large number of his works to his home town, which is the reason why the gallery exists. The collection offers a rare chance to see a major sculptor's career laid out in one place, in a quiet small-town setting rather than in a large city museum.

Augustinčić studied in Zagreb and later in Paris, and he worked in the tradition of European figurative sculpture, shaping the human body in bronze, stone and plaster. He made intimate pieces such as nudes, torsos and portraits as well as monumental public commissions, among them memorials and statues in Croatia and abroad. His best-known work is the Peace monument, which stands in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, and a full-sized model of that sculpture is one of the highlights of the gallery in Klanjec. The gallery also contains a life-size figure of Josip Broz Tito and other works that reflect the political history of the period in which he worked.

The permanent exhibition follows his five-decade career through a selection of works. The building was purpose-built in the 1970s to house the collection, and it has large, bright halls suited to sculpture. The difference between the delicate, small-scale pieces and the huge public monuments gives the visit its rhythm, and the curators' short presentations help to explain the artist's methods, such as the use of models and preparatory studies. Outside, a sculpture park lets you see larger pieces in the open air, among lawns and trees.

Klanjec itself is a pleasant small town. A short walk from the gallery stands the Franciscan monastery, and the town is connected with Antun Mihanović, the author of the words of the Croatian national anthem, who spent part of his life in the area. A monument to the anthem, listed in this guide, stands nearby, and the ruins of Cesargrad castle are a short drive away. Kumrovec, the birthplace of Tito, is also within easy reach, so many visitors combine the sights in one day.

Opening hours and ticket prices change, so check before you visit, and note that the gallery may be closed on some days. A visit takes one to two hours. The gallery suits art lovers, families and anyone interested in twentieth-century Croatian culture and history.