Ana Bešlić (; 16 March 1912, Šarapusta near

Bajmok Bajmok ( sr-Cyrl, Бајмок; , ) is a village located in the municipality of Subotica, in the North Bačka District, Vojvodina, Serbia. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbered 7,414 inhabitants as of 2011 census. Name In S ...

– 27 February 2008,

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

) was a Serbian

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Biography

She was born in a Sárapuszta (modern-day Šarapusta) near the

Bačka Bačka ( sr-Cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska (), is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary. ...

n town of

, between

Sombor Sombor ( sr-Cyrl, Сомбор, ; ; ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the West Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The city has a total population of 41,814 (), while its adminis ...

and

Subotica Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...

, at that time in

Bács-Bodrog County Bács-Bodrog County (, , ) was an administrative county () of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1920. Most of its territory is currently part of Serbia, while a smaller part belongs to Hungary. The capital of the county was Zombor (present-day ...

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

to a family of Bunjevac origins. Ana Bešlić was one of the most important representatives of modern sculpture in

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. By genre, she belonged to the group of artists that, since the 1950s, became recognisable by their artistic curiosity and non-mainstream approach, being the pioneers of changing of sculptor's style in Yugoslavia. Still, her creations were mostly oriented towards the making of monuments. She attended schools in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, but she developed her artistic education at the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

in 1949. Part of her works were donated to the city of Subotica, including the monument of

Blaško Rajić Blaško Stipan Rajić (January 7, 1878 – January 3, 1951) was a Catholic priest, writer and politician from the region of Bačka who was known for his involvement in the creation of Yugoslavia after the Croatian national revival. He wrote poetr ...

. She spent her final years in Belgrade, where she died in 2008.

Works

Her best known sculptures are ''Plamen'', ''Majka i dete'', ''Talija'', ''Slomljena krila'' (being one of the best known sights in

Palić Palić ( sr-Cyrl, Палић; ; ) is a town located in the city of Subotica, North Bačka District, autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is also located from the border between Serbia and Hungary. The town has a Hungarian ethnic majority ...

), ''Majka i sin'', ''

Podravka Podravka d.d. is a Croatian food company based in Koprivnica. Founded in 1934, today it is one of the largest food companies in Southeast Europe. History 1934–1990 The brothers Marijan and Matija Wolf founded the company on 14 June 1934. ...

's rooster'', ''Tina Turner'', and ''Blaško Rajić''.

Legacy

She won numerous awards for her work.

Rajko Ljubič Rajko Ljubić is a Serbian film director from Subotica. He mostly makes documentary film, documentaries and short movies that deal with the life of the Bunjevci and Šokci Slavic groups from Bačka. He has the donated many of his works to the Kat ...

, a film director from Subotica, made a

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

about her in 2005.

External links

* * * *
Ana Beslic
Spomenik Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Beslic, Ana Croats of Vojvodina Artists from Subotica Artists from Belgrade 2008 deaths 1912 births 20th-century Serbian sculptors Bunjevci Serbian women sculptors 20th-century women sculptors