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Ivan Rendić’s presence in our city is a true treasure. Ivan Rendić, a doyen of Croatian sculpture, was, as chance would have it, born in Imotski on August 27th, 1849, where his father went to do occasional mason work. When he was three months old, however, he moved to Supetar with his mother Lukrica Gospodnetić, born in Dol, and his father Petar Rendić Anđelović from Supetar. He thus rightfully considered Supetar his home town.
We can justifiably claim of this master of Croatian sculpture that he paved the way for Toma Rosandić, Frano Kršinić, and even Ivan Meštrović. A famous quote by Ivan Meštrović speaks volumes about his greatness: “Is it inconceivable, let alone permissible, for anyone to diminish the contributions of Ivan Rendić, who is rightfully credited as the trailblazer of our sculptural tradition? Even though our sculptural art has taken a big step forward since Rendić, he was a pioneer of the art form and helped develop a certain thirst for it. Just as great literature does not emerge overnight but requires generations to forge a literary language and clear the path, we must acknowledge the contributions of the pioneers of our visual art. Their significance is amplified by the fact that they worked under far more challenging circumstances than the artists of the present day.”
– Ivan Meštrović about Ivan Rendić, 1939 (Duško Kečkemet, Ivan Rendić – Život i djelo [Ivan Rendić – Life and Work]. Supetar: Skupština Općine Brač, 1969, from the foreword)
As Meštrović said back in 1939, some time had to pass for Croatia, and Supetar along with it, to start being proud of the importance of Ivan Rendić’s persona and work. In honor of Rendić and his significance, the Supetar Tourist Board, in collaboration with the National Library of Supetar, created and marked the thematic trail titled “A CULTURAL STROLL WITH RENDIĆ,” which features important locations for Rendić’s life. This is a stroll through the historical center of Supetar in the company of this eminent figure of Croatian culture and art; a peculiar character, a big hedonist, a man bursting with original ideas and one with a great sense of humor.
The path itself starts in front of the monument depicting Ivan Rendić, made in his honor by Mirko Ostoja. The monument is located in the shade under a group of beautiful palm trees in the central park in Supetar, at the bottom of Supetar horseshoe. Its placement is no coincidence, as Rendić himself observed the everyday life of his city from this very place.
Continuing the stroll through the street that bears his name, we arrive at his childhood home. Its facade bears his first artwork—a relief from 1864, made when he was only 15 years old.
In vicinity of his home, one may find the neighborhood of Vrdolac, which is, along with Glavica and Varoš, the beating heart of the city; the lifeblood of Supetar. The city’s history goes back to the distant period of Roman administration—as evidenced by the sarcophagi and Villa Rustica located right next to the current cemetery—all the way to the early Christian era, as indicated by a 6th-century mosaic found beside the city church. Following these periods, life in Supetar was dormant for a couple of centuries up to its revival in Glavica, Vrdolci, and Varoš, from where it extended to the sea. Already in the 19th century, Supetar became the capital of the island of Brač, with 1829 residents in the year 1900. Vrdolac, therefore, played a significant role in Rendić’s childhood, as it was the place where he hung out with his friends, coming up with his first jokes and anecdotes.
Only 50 meters to the west, a pleasant stroll takes us to gustirne. Gustirne are wells that collect accumulated rainwater from a nearby pjover (an eave that’s built to direct rainwater). They were of great importance in Rendić’s upbringing for two reasons. Brač was an island without water, and this way of collecting it was a significant part of life in the city. Additionally, it served as a gathering place for the local women, where they shared gossip and secrets, washed clothes and dishes, and collected water for daily use in Supetar.
Gustirne were the heart of social life in Supetar at that time, attracting residents from Vrdolac, Glavica, and Varoš, which prompted the need for pathways connecting these neighborhoods. Continuing your stroll westward, you’ll discover a picturesque street named after Ignjat Job, a luminary of Croatian painting. This Dalmatian kala (narrow street) is where the artist lived and worked, with the majority of his painting oeuvre (1828 –1935) being produced in Supetar alone. Job was mesmerized by the Mediterranean landscape, particularly the motifs of Supetar and Brač, which he painted in a distinct expressionistic style. Job and Rendić were connected through art and culture, both being regular guests at the “Kod šjor File” inn (At Phil’s), along with Tin Ujević, Toma Rosandić, Jerolim Miše and Ive Vojnović, where they brainstormed ideas for their works.
Near Ignjat Job’s house, down the same street, there is also the “Ivan Rendić” gallery, where Rendić’s artworks, sculptures, reliefs, and sketches are kept. The gallery’s collection consists of 18 sculptures and 50 original drafts, drawings and photos from Ivan Rendić’s life. As befits this place, it is the center of the social and cultural life of the City of Supetar today, and a place where concerts, book promotions, lectures and exhibitions are held.
The park in front of the gallery is adorned with the beautiful allegorical sculpture Um [Mind], a work by Rendić from 1886. The original marble sculpture is located in the Lyod Palace in Trieste, while this bronze cast is a permanent ode to the immense artistic value of Ivan Rendić.
Given that Supetar’s history as a town dates back to 1900, it’s understandable that the place had the need for the establishment of the “Society for the Construction of Bathing Areas and Beautification of the Town of Supetar” [društvo za gradnju kupališta i poljepšavanje varoši Supetra], which was founded in 1909. As requested by the society, Rendić made a blueprint for the construction of the first public bathing area on the island called “Banj”. The area could host 150 bathers, and it was divided into a men’s and women’s section. What makes this beach so special is that identical structures with changing rooms were constructed in Opatija (the Angiolina bathing area), Šibenik (Jadrija), and the town of Hvar (Bonj). The fact that Supetar had such a bathing structure indicates its early involvement in tourist activities and trends.
Every life, most certainly, ends in a cemetery. Such is the end of this thematic trail, which concludes in the Supetar cemetery, which is abundant in glorious monuments made by Rendić. During a walk through the cemetery, you will come across 12 monuments carved in stone, the preferred medium of the artist who honored the material by sculpting monumental statues that he bequeathed to the public. The highlight and, concurrently, the end of the thematic trail is Ivan Rendić’s final resting place. The modest stone tomb was recently complemented by sculptures of the artist’s shoes, cane, and an engraving of his famous saying: “Where is Rendić?”, all done by local artist Đani Martinić. Ivan Rendić died on June 29th, 1932—exactly on the feast day of Supetar’s patron saints, Peter and Paul. His death imbued this date with even greater significance, ensuring his name would not be forgotten.
A great artist, hedonist, joker, and lover of carnivals, all of his anecdotes and works thus continue to flow through the veins of the residents of Supetar but also through those of the visitors of this thematic trail.
2023 The Supetar Tourist Board gave this trail additional value by digitizing it entirely. After the visitor downloads the application, which works online and offline in five languages, their digital tour of Supetar begins, compelling them to go through it on foot. By downloading the application, the marked points on the path automatically appear on the visitor’s screen (mobile phone, tablet or other device) along with their descriptions and photos. You can walk the entire path in real time, all the way to the Supetar cemetery where you are greeted by Rendić himself. Namely, with the help of AR (augmented reality), Ivan Rendić appears on the screen, instructing you to walk through the Supetar cemetery, with the pinnacle of the trail being his final resting place. There, the artist appears once more, uttering his famous sentence: “Where is Rendić?”
You are left with no other choice than to spend the day on a “CULTURAL STROLL WITH RENDIĆ.”