Želimir Janeš

In the book “Želimir Janeš”, Josip Bratulić presents a comprehensive overview of the sculptor whose wooden and metal sculptures, reliefs and monumental works marked the Croatian art scene of the post-war period. Bratulić approaches Janeš’s work philologically and culturally: he views him as an artist who draws motifs from tradition, but transforms them into a distinctive, contemporary expression.

The focus of the monograph is a detailed tracing of Janeš’s creative path — from early works inspired by folklore forms and sacred themes, through intensive research into wood as a living material, to his most mature works, which are permeated with symbolism, archaism and minimalist clarity of form. Special attention is paid to the cycles that marked his recognition, such as wooden sculptures of strong volumes, deeply immersed in Slavic mythological and Christian iconography.

Bratulić not only shows the development of artistic technique, but also the context: Janeš's place in the generation of sculptors who built the post-war identity of Croatian plastic art, his relationship to tradition, sacred art and contemporary sculptural movements. Photographs of the works, exhibition notes and notes on the reception show him as an artist who remained faithful to an introspective, spiritual approach, always between the modern language of form and deep cultural archetypes.

The monograph is therefore both a document of the times and a portrait of the artist: a warm, expert and clearly written study that presents Želimir Janeš as one of the key figures of Croatian sculpture of the 20th century.