Edo Murtić (1921 – 2005) was a painter from Croatia, best known for his lyrical abstraction and abstract expressionism style. He worked in a variety of media, including oil painting, gouache, graphic design, ceramics, mosaics, murals and theatrical set design. Murtić travelled and exhibited extensively in Europe and North America, gaining international recognition for his work, which can be found in museums, galleries and private collections worldwide. He was one of the founders of the group "March" (Mart) in 1956, and received many international awards. In 1958 Murtić participated in the three biggest events in the world of contemporary art: the Venice Biennale, the Carnegie Prize in Pittsburgh, and Documenta in Kassel. Interest in the art of Edo Murtić continues to grow, with retrospective exhibits in major museums.
Murtić was a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and a member of the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.
Murtić was born in Velika Pisanica near Bjelovar, Croatia. He was the second child of Vinko and Franciska Murtić. Early in his childhood, the family moved to Zagreb where Murtić received his education. He attended Craft School 1935–39, studying under Edo Kovačević, Kamilo Tompa and Ernest Tomašević. His first exhibition was held in 1935 at the Royal High School in Zagreb.
In 1939, Murtić enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb under Ljubo Babić and Krsto Hegedušić. During 1940 he attended classes given by Petar Dobrović in Belgrade returning to Zagreb in 1941 to complete his studies at the academy.
Murtić was strongly influenced by socialist ideas, and at the outbreak of the Second World War he became involved in the anti-fascist movement. In the spring of 1944, Murtić joined the liberation forces, where he worked designing graphics, posters, and books. In the years following the war, Murtić began to travel and exhibit extensively. In 1951 he spent time in the U.S. and Canada, where he encountered the abstract expressionism movement. Back in Zagreb he was one of the founders of the group "March" (Mart) in 1956.
Murtić's wife was Goranka Vrus Murtić, a well-known artist in her own right. Together they bought and renovated an old stone house in the town of Vrsar, on the Istrian coast. Although their main residence was in Zagreb, they spent much of each year in Vrsar.
Edo Murtić donated over 1,500 of his works to the City of Zagreb, including paintings, sculptures, mosaics, drawings, ceramics and enamels. An exhibit of 300 selected works "From the Murtić Donation" opened in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb in October 2010.
© 2025. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Edo Murtić or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| Edo Murtić |
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| Carnival in Dubrovnik, 1955 |
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| Postojanos, 1959 |
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| Untitled, 1959 |
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| Abstract Croatia, 1960 |
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| Untitled, 1962 |
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| Untitled, 1963 |
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| Untitled, 1963 |
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| Untitled, 1963 |
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| Untitled, 1968 |
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| Broken Milestones, 1972 |
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| Untitled, 1972 |
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| Untitled, 1972 |
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| Untitled, 1973 |
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| Untitled, 1973 |
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| Rascujetani VRT, 1974 |
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| Untitled, 1975 |
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| Rain in Vrsar, 1976 |
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| Three red chimneys, 1977 |
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| Untitled, 1980 |
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| Untitled, 1981 |
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| Obala, 1989 |
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| In the Morning, 1990 |
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| Untitled, 1998 |
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| Untitled, 1998 |
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| Red Square, 2002 |
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| Birth of the Yellow, 2003 |
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| Untitled |
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| Untitled |
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| Sea landscape |
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| Mosaic on the Šeferov family tomb |
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