Juraj Dalmatinac
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| Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac Giorgio Orsini Georgius Mathaei Dalmaticus |
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| Born | circa 1410 Zara, Republic of Venice (now Zadar, Croatia) |
| Died | 1473/1475 Sebenico, Republic of Venice (now Šibenik, Croatia) |
| Occupation | sculptor, architect |
Giorgio Matteo Orsini or Giorgio da Sebenico (Croatian: Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac, Latin:Georgius Mathaei Dalmaticus), (circa 1410 - 1473/1475), was a medieval sculptor and architect. He was born in the Dalmatian city of Zara (today Zadar, Croatia), which was then ruled by the Republic of Venice and died in Sebenico (now Šibenik, Croatia).
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[edit] Life and Work
He was educated in Venice, in workshop of Giovanni and Bartolomeo Buon. He helped them carve decorations on Porta della Carta on Doge's Palace.[1]
His opus represents the golden age of Dalmatian medieval art. His most beautiful achievement is undoubtedly the Cathedral of St.Jacob in Sebenico (today Šibenik), for which he was a chief architect from 1441 to 1473.[1] The entire building was built solely of stone elements (with no wood or bricks used in the structure). Especially interesting are 72 portraits of his fellow-citizens carved in stone, surprisingly realistic for the period. They reflect in a very direct sense the character of urban life of that time.
In Spalato (Split) he built several palaces and in 1448 he built a stone altar in Spalato cathedral.[1] In Dubrovnik he helped repair Duke's palace and helped build Minčeta fortress. He also made an urbanistic plan for Pag.[1] In Italy, he worked in Ancona where he built the Loggia dei Mercanti and the portal of San Francesco (St. Francis) Church.[1]
His carvings and sculptures belong to late gothic style, but his architecture announce early renaissance.[1]
[edit] Name controversy
About the name there is a nationalistic dispute: the architect is alternatively presented as the Italian 'Giorgio Orsini', or the Croat 'Juraj Dalmantinac'.
The are no doubts about the Latin nickname 'Georgius Dalmaticus': on relief by the north apse of Cathedral of St.Jacob he signed: "hoc opus cuvarum fecit magister Georgius Mathaei Dalmaticus"[2][3], and on a contract from 1441 he signed: "Georgius lapicida quondam Mathei de Jadra Civis Sibenicenis" (trans. "Georgius carver, son of deceased Mathei from Zara, citizen of Sebenico")[3].
The Italian name is well referencied and it was always used even in the international works (such as Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition[4]). Anyway, according to a recent theory published in Croatia, 'Orsini' was not used by the architect because his son took it only after death of his father.[2][3].
For sure, the slavic name 'Juraj Dalmatinac' was introduced only in the XIX century, by the so-called Illyrian movement, as a translation of the Latin nickname.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f General Encyclopedia of Yugoslavian Lexicographic Institute, volume 4 (Zagreb, 1978), article Juraj Dalmatinac.
- ^ a b Fisković, Cvito, Nenad Gattin (1963). Juraj Dalmatinac (in Croatian). Zagreb: Zora, 73.
- ^ a b c Ivančević, Radovan. Šibenska katedrala (in Croatian).
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica article about Šibenik (1911)
