THE LEGACY ART OF BORISLAV BOGDANOVICH
VITAE - BIOGRAPHY
Borislav Bogdanovich was born into a prominent family in Former Yugoslavia and developed a passion for art as a young boy. In experiencing much tragedy in lost family and the World Wars, Borislav continually chooses the love and beauty in life as his compass, driving the evolution of his life’s work. Through the 1920s and 1930s he studied in Paris, and soon became a founding member of “Twelve”, the group of prominent painters in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. As a prolific young artist, he exhibited frequently in international shows throughout Europe. His art was informed by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists with whom he was often exhibited with, as well as his country’s ancient visual traditions - the great Byzantine Frescoes in the monasteries.
Borislav met and married his one true love, Herma, and began their devoted lifelong love and partnership. On the cusp of World War II in 1939, they left Europe for America. Upon his arrival he organized artists for the NY World’s Fair. Quickly recognized as an important artist of the time in the progressive NY art community brought him introductions to NY’s finest galleries and art dealers. In 1940, he made his American debut in his first group exhibition at the Nierendorf Gallery, “THE ROLE OF COLOR IN MODERN ART”, alongside contemporaries Beckmann, Ensor, Nolde, Kandinsky, Miró, and others.
His exhibitions included a series of one-man shows and group shows at the Metropolitan Museum NY, Whitney Museum of American Art NY, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Corcoran Gallery Biennials in Washington D.C as well as renowned GALLERIES including the Hammer, Van Diemen and Lilienfeld galleries. Bogdanovich exhibited alongside Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Expressionist modern masters Picasso, Monet, Chagall, Renoir, Matisse, Mondrian, Degas, and Dufy. REVIEWS of his work drew comparisons to the masters from the foremost art critics of the time. A celebrated career led to recognition in PUBLICATIONS, including Who’s Who in American Art, and Who Was Who in American Art.
A successful show of Bogdanovich’s work in Scottsdale, Arizona motivated the artist to extend his visit in the southwest. Inspired by the colorful vistas and desert landscape, he began his next period of vibrant, vividly expressive, emotional work. NATIVE AMERICAN scenery and rich traditional life ignited a new passion in his work. A special commission to create four large murals presented the ideal opportunity to delve into a new period of captivating subjects and expanding techniques. His new fascination was evident in this work. Chairman of the Valley National Bank, renowned art collector Walter Bimson, commissioned works and acquired fifty paintings and several large-scale murals for display in selected bank branches. Shortly after the completion of the last monumental mural, “Buffalo Hunt", Bogdanovich passed.
After his death, the Bogdanovich family produced a series of well received full-scale RETROSPECTIVES across Europe, starting with the Museum of Modern Art in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Many of the exhibitions were curated with the assistance of renowned art historian / author Michael Peppiatt, including at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris, France; Galerie Burdeke, Zurich, Switzerland; the two Von Abercron Galleries in Cologne and Munich, Germany; followed by the Aberbach Gallery, London, England and other prominent shows.
After a triumphant show in London, exhibitions were planned for Milan, Italy with the intention of subsequently launching the next major promotional campaign in the United States. Due to the passing of the late artist’s devoted wife Herma, the campaign was suspended, with limited exhibitions over the following years.
A wide spectrum of private international and American collectors have acquired paintings, including the estates of the Rush H. Kress Foundation, Walter R. Bimson; Valley National Bank (acquired by Chase Morgan) and Hollywood celebrities some of which include Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Cybill Shepherd and world renowned Metropolitan Opera soprano, the late Zinka Milanov, and others.
The artist’s daughter, Anna Bogdanovich, resumed the advancement of this historical estate under her purview – a sizable collection of artworks. A selection of distinguished works were featured in “Treasuring Treasures” 2014, a group show of Legacy artists at the AJU Platt and Borstein Galleries, Bel Air, California.
The Bogdanovich estate of hidden treasures includes around 900 works in oil paintings, gouaches, drawings, sketches and large-scale murals, most never seen before. An unveiling of a new cache of fine works from The Bogdanovich Collection archive is expected within the next year. Established modern master Borislav Bogdanovich and his lifework is poised for an opportune comeback in the global art community.