Trogir

From 1468 on, together with Andrija Alesi and Ivan Duknovic from Trogir (Giovanni Dalmata, Ioannes Dalmata), this Italian artist decorated the Chapel of St. John in the Cathedral of Trogir. Duknovic won renown in Italy and Hungary. Woodcarving has a long local tradition. In 1213 master Buvina made the doors for the Cathedral of Split and decorated them with scenes from the New Testament. The choir stalls of the Cathedral date back to the 13th century. The woodcarver Ivan Budislavic made the choir stalls in the Cathedral of Trogir in 1439.

The interiors of local palaces and churches, museums and galleries treasure numerous artifacts and antiquities The Evangelistary of Split, which is kept in the Cathedral, goes back to the 7th century. The legend has it that it was brought from Salona. The Evangelistary of Trogir, depicted in the 13th century, probably in the scriptorium of the Benedictine monastery of St. John, is one of the most lavishly decorated Croatian codexes. In the Middle Ages the Dalmatian towns had several painting shops, some of which developed recognizable styles. The most famous was that of the late Gothic painter Blaz Jurjev Trogiranin, who lived in the former half of the 15th century. Also, over the centuries many works of Venetian painters have been purchased. In order to decorate the organqs door in the Cathedral on the model of those of St Mark in Venice, the citizens of Trogir commissioned the painted panels from the same author, Gentile Bellini. Toma Nigris-Mrcic (1450-1531), bishop, humanist and author of anti-Turkish speeches.

Numerous works by the sculptor Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962), who won renown in Europe and the USA, are on show in his Gallery in Split. Emanuel Vidovic (1879-1953), a lover of dark church interiors and vibrant, saturated atmospheres, is the most famous painter of Trogir and Split.