The gallery was founded by Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović and officially opened in 1951. The gallery is located on the southern slopes of Mount Marjan, above the sea, on the site of Meštrović's former villa.
Ivan Meštrović is the most famous Croatian sculptor of the twentieth century. He was born Croatia, grew up in Split, and studied in Vienna, where he discovered his talent early on. Meštrović worked in Paris with the great Rodin, then in Rome, and in London he became he became world famous in London. After the Second World War, he lived in the United States, where he died in 1962.
Villa Meštrović was built in Split between 1931 and 1939, designed by the artist himself, in the classical style. Split between 1931 and 1939, designed by the artist himself in a classical style. The villa was built in stages, starting from the east to the western parts of the house, and was designed for residence, work and exhibitions.
Ivan Meštrović, together with his family, lived here from the summer of 1932. In 1941. Meštrović left for Zagreb, and the family stayed in Split for another year. In 1952. Ivan Meštrović donated his villa to the Republic of Croatia in his will, making it possible to establish the Ištrović Gallery here. which made possible the establishment of the Ivan Meštrović Gallery. The museum was inaugurated opened to the public on 9 September 1952. Since 1991, the Gallery has been part of the Ivan Meštrović Foundation, headquartered in Zagreb.
Initially, the Gallery featured 70 sculptures donated by the artist for presentation in the future museum in Split. Later this collection grew due to new acquisitions, exchanges and the reproduction in bronze and stone of new sculptures on plaster models. sculptures based on the author's plaster models, as well as donations from the artist and his family. and his family. Now the exposition of the gallery includes 192 sculptures (made of wood, marble and bronze). made of wood, marble and bronze) , 583 drawings, 4 paintings, 291 architectural plans, and two sets of furniture. plans, and two sets of furniture, one of which is based on Meštrović's sketches, and is part of the permanent exhibition at the former Mštrović Gallery. is part of the permanent exhibition in the former dining room.
In addition to building up the museum collection, the Gallery is collecting documentation related to the related to the life and work of I.Meštrović. Of particular interest are photographs of the artist, taken in Vienna. Also in the Gallery there is a family archive, found in the house in 1952 1952, which contains letters from friends and personal documents of the family.
