Yugoslavia: The 100 Years of Birth of Ivan Meštrović

Ivan Meštrović  was a Croatian sculptor and architect. He was born on August 15, 1883, in Slavonia, Austria-Hungary, which is located in modern-day Croatia. At the age of sixteen, a master stone cutter from Split, Pavle Bilinić, noticed his talent and he took him as an apprentice.

In 1905 he made his first exhibit with the Secession Group in Vienna, noticeably influenced with the Art Nouveau style. His work quickly became popular, even with the likes of Auguste Rodin who once said that Meštrović is the greatest phenomenon among sculptors and even greater sculptor than he was.

He was a contemporary and friend of Nikola Tesla.


Stamp is issued on 1983-08-15.