Zoran Mušič(Bukovica near Gorizia, 1909 – Venice, 2005)
Still Life with Seafood (Natura morta con frutti di mare)
1986, mixed media, handmade paper on panel, 269 x 409 mm
Signed and dated lower right: MUSIC 86, Signed and dated verso: MUSIC / NATURA MORTA / CON FRUTTI DI MARE / TECNICA MISTA / 1986
ZD 2016034, The Ljuban, Milada and Vanda Mušič Collection
This still life of shellfish from 1986 is a striking study in color.
On homemade paper, Mušič depicted a bright, ovular plate, with black mussels atop it. The painting is a study of contrasting effects, as the blacks, blues, and oranges of the mussels rest upon the whiteness of the plate before a neutral background. The background itself shows the palette of earth tones characteristic of Mušič’s Venetian paintings from the 1980s. In his exploration of color effects, he used the rough surface of the handmade paper to his advantage.
An extraordinarily sensitive medium, the paper handled the applications of paint in mixed technique like a canvas, which is why Mušič affixed it to a wooden base.
Seafood still lifes – with shells and fish – were one of Mušič’s common motifs back in the 1930s and 40s. He returned to this motif in the 80s, along with his depictions of cathedrals and of his wife Ida.