A break from summer heat with the best designed Croatian books throughout history
13 – 20 August 2024
By 20 August, take a break from summer heat in the grand lobby of the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) where you can refresh yourself by visiting an exhibition spotlighting the outstanding examples of book art in Croatia spanning a period of 1,500 years.
The Book Art in Croatia exhibition provides a historical overview of techniques and styles employed in the production and decoration of books in Croatia since the Middle Ages to contemporary times. Authored by art historian Dr Milan Pelc, it reveals interesting details about manuscript and printed books featuring a wide array of themes and content and presenting the greatest achievements in book design in Croatia. Apart from medieval evangelaries and missals, the works presented by the exhibition also include modern attractively illustrated publications and print portfolios bringing together visual arts and literature in a truly unique way.
Croatian book belles in the NSK collections
The exhibition, already seen by the Slovenian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian and Italian audiences, as well as by the representatives of EU member states during Croatia’s presidency of the Council of EU in 2020, is now being put on for all visitors of Zagreb and the general public as a way of celebrating the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Library’s Manuscripts and Old Books Collection, the oldest of the Library’s four special collections.
Included among the invaluable treasures held by our this year’s starring collection are also the original copies of some of the fascinating works presented through the Book Art in Croatia exhibition.
