Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters

The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters is housed in the neo-Renaissance palace of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, known by its initials HAZU, on Zrinski Square in Zagreb. It is the most important collection of European old master paintings in Croatia, and one of Croatia’s cultural treasures, a dignified, quiet gallery that offers a serious but rewarding experience for lovers of art.

The palace was designed by the Viennese architect Friedrich von Schmidt, in the neo-Renaissance style favoured for institutions of learning in the late nineteenth century, and it stands on the edge of the green park of Zrinjevac, in the lower town. Its dignified façade of stone and brick, with a loggia and arcaded galleries, reflects the aspirations of a nation that was building its cultural institutions in the era of the national revival. Inside, the atrium holds the Baška Tablet, the famous stone inscription in the Glagolitic script from about 1100, which is displayed in the entrance hall and is one of the great treasures of Croatian culture.

The gallery’s origins go back to Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, one of the most influential figures in nineteenth-century Croatia, a Catholic bishop, patron of the arts and a champion of South Slav cultural unity. Strossmayer collected paintings on his travels, mainly in Italy and Vienna, and in 1868 he donated his collection to the nation, together with funds for the building of the academy. The gallery was officially opened on 9 November 1884. The original gift consisted of about two hundred and fifty works, and today the gallery holds around four thousand items, including drawings, sculptures and works from other donors, of which a selection of roughly two hundred and fifty paintings is on display.

The collection spans European art from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century, arranged in Italian, French and Northern European groups, the last including German, Flemish and Dutch masters. Among the highlights are paintings by Beato Angelico, Vittore Carpaccio, El Greco and Jacopo Palma il Giovane, and works of the Venetian school are especially strong, reflecting Strossmayer’s taste and the links between Croatia and Venice. Over the decades, the holdings have grown through gifts from patrons such as Ante Topić Mimara and the Marquis Etienne de Piennes. Other genres and modern works have gone to other institutions, so that the Strossmayer Gallery remains a focused collection of Old Masters.

The setting is intimate and scholarly, with a calm atmosphere very different from large, crowded museums. While the collection is small enough to take in during an hour or two, visitors can look at individual paintings with attention, which makes it a good choice for art enthusiasts. Visitors should check opening times. The gallery’s opening days and times vary, so check the current schedule before going. It suits lovers of painting, history and quiet interiors, and it is close to Zrinjevac, the Art Pavilion and the Main Station.