Tripo Kokolja
Encyclopedia
Tripo Kokolja (February 28, 1661 – October 18, 1713) was a Croatian
painter. His name is sometimes given as Trifun Kokoljić or Cocoglia. He is chiefly remembered today for introducing the still life
and landscape
painting into the art of the eastern Adriatic.
Born in Perast
, on the Bay of Kotor
in present day Montenegro, Kokolja is believed to have studied art in Venice
. His most important work was a commission from the Archbishop of Bar, Andrija Zmajević
, done at the end of the 17th century. This was a cycle of canvases for the church of Our Lady of the Rocks
, opposite Perast. The lower series of paintings depicts prophet
s and sybil
s; above these are the Presentation of the Virgin, the Death of the Virgin
, and the Descent of the Holy Ghost. Above the arch is the Coronation of the Virgin
. The ceiling, too, is painted, divided into 45 sections which depict scenes from the Life of the Virgin
interspersed with images of evangelist
s, Fathers of the Church, angel
s, and still life
s of baskets of flowers. These paintings combine certain hallmarks of Baroque technique with a provincial understanding of both drawing and perspective
. They were badly restored by a local Franciscan
painter, Josip Rossi, in 1883. Other works known to be by Kokolja include portraits of Vicko Bujović
and admiral Krsto Zmajević, both of which may be seen in the town museum, along with a self-portrait
. A set of wall paintings in Archbishop Zmajevic's palace, done in 1670, is ruined, but is known to have included landscape
s.
Kokolja moved to Korčula
, Croatia
towards the end of his life, dying there in 1713. Among his later works are paintings for the Dominican
church in Bol
, on the island of Brač
.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
painter. His name is sometimes given as Trifun Kokoljić or Cocoglia. He is chiefly remembered today for introducing the still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
and landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
painting into the art of the eastern Adriatic.
Born in Perast
Perast
Perast is an old town in Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. It is situated a few kilometres northwest of Kotor.- Geography :...
, on the Bay of Kotor
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
in present day Montenegro, Kokolja is believed to have studied art in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. His most important work was a commission from the Archbishop of Bar, Andrija Zmajević
Andrija Zmajevic
Andrija Zmajević was a distinguished Serbian Baroque poet and contributor to the Roman Catholic Church from the Bay of Kotor...
, done at the end of the 17th century. This was a cycle of canvases for the church of Our Lady of the Rocks
Our Lady of the Rocks
Our Lady of the Rocks is one of the two islets off the coast of Perast in Bay of Kotor, Montenegro . It is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks...
, opposite Perast. The lower series of paintings depicts prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s and sybil
Sybil
In antiquity, the oracular seeresses of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean were referred to by the Greek term "sibyls". In modern times, when "Sibyl" is adopted for a woman's name, the conventional spelling is "Sybil".-People:...
s; above these are the Presentation of the Virgin, the Death of the Virgin
Death of the Virgin
The Death of the Virgin Mary is a common theme in Western Christian art, comparable to the Dormition in Eastern Orthodox art. It becomes less common as the doctrine of the Assumption gains support in the Roman Catholic Church from the late Middle Ages onwards...
, and the Descent of the Holy Ghost. Above the arch is the Coronation of the Virgin
Coronation of the Virgin
The Coronation of the Virgin or Coronation of Mary is a subject in Christian art, especially popular in Italy in the 13th to 15th centuries, but continuing in popularity until the 18th century and beyond. Christ, sometimes accompanied by God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove,...
. The ceiling, too, is painted, divided into 45 sections which depict scenes from the Life of the Virgin
Life of the Virgin
The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the number of scenes shown varies greatly with the space...
interspersed with images of evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
s, Fathers of the Church, angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s, and still life
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
s of baskets of flowers. These paintings combine certain hallmarks of Baroque technique with a provincial understanding of both drawing and perspective
Perspective (visual)
Perspective, in context of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes; or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects...
. They were badly restored by a local Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
painter, Josip Rossi, in 1883. Other works known to be by Kokolja include portraits of Vicko Bujović
Vicko Bujovic
Vicko Bujović was a Dalmatian mercenary.During the Morean War, Bujović took command of the forces of Perast, offering their services, in his own name and that of the people of the city, to the Republic of Venice, with whom he was deeply connected...
and admiral Krsto Zmajević, both of which may be seen in the town museum, along with a self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
. A set of wall paintings in Archbishop Zmajevic's palace, done in 1670, is ruined, but is known to have included landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s.
Kokolja moved to Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
towards the end of his life, dying there in 1713. Among his later works are paintings for the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
church in Bol
Bol, Croatia
Bol is a town on the south of the island of Brač in theSplit-Dalmatia County of Croatia, population 1,661 .Bol is renowned for its most popular beach, the Zlatni rat . It is a promontory composed mostly of pebble rock that visibly shifts with the tidal movement, a unique sight...
, on the island of Brač
Brac
Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of 396 km², making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. Its tallest peak, Vidova Gora, or Mount St. Vid, stands at 778 m, making it the highest island point in the Adriatic...
.