Stanislav Ivan Rapotec (4 October 1913 – 18 November 1997) was a Slovene-Australian artist.
Early life
Stanislav Rapotec was born in 1913 in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
, at that time part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. In 1918 he moved with his family to
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, part of the newly created
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
. He studied economics at the
University of Zagreb from 1933 to 1939. After military training as a reserve officer, he began his career with the National Bank of Yugoslavia in
Split where he also developed his skill as an artist.
World War II
Rapotec was mobilized into the Royal Yugoslav Army before the invasion of Yugoslavia by Germany and Italy on 6 April 1941. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, but subsequently escaped to Split controlled by the Italian army. He escaped to Split, where he fought for the
Yugoslavian government in exile. He had also visited
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, where he met
Julian Amery of the British Special Operations Executive. In January 1942, he covertly returned to Split.
Žarko Todorović
Žarko P. Todorović "Valter" (1907 Belgrade - 2004 Paris) was one of the leaders of the Chetnik resistance in the first phase of World War II in the German occupied Yugoslavia, serving as first commander of the undercover Chetnik headquarte ...
, the leader of the
Chetnik
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
resistance, also organized radio communication between Rapotec and
Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
.
He spent April to June of that year in Zagreb. During this time he met with the Archbishop of Zagreb
Aloysius Stepinac five times. Later in July, he went back to the middle eastern region. He was feared lost by the allies. He has traveled from Split to Mostar to Zagreb (where he had sheltered for 2 and a half months and met surviving Jews and Serbs) to Belgrade, and finally to Turkey.
Life as a painter
After the war, Rapotec moved to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, where he started to paint again. In 1955, he moved to
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. He started using his name in an Anglicized form (
Stanislaus Stanislav and variants may refer to:
People
*Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.)
Places
* Stanislav, a coastal village in Kherson, Ukraine
* Stanislaus County, Cali ...
, or simply Stan). In 1961, he won the
Blake Prize for Religious Art. He was a member of the group of Sydney-based abstract artists called the
Sydney 9
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...
. After his wife, Andree, had died, he traveled and painted all across Europe. He died in Sydney from a stroke in 1997.
Legacy
Stan Rapotec is famous for his art works, which are all exhibited in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. He is also known for his quote, "To become an artist, you must have a life rich with experience, a strong desire to express yourself, a will strong enough to carry out this desire, and ... talent,".
The Independent
/ref>
Notes
External links
Stanislav Rapotec »Rappy«
References
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapotec, Stanislav
1913 births
1997 deaths
Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb alumni
Slovenian people of World War II
Members of the Order of Australia
Artists from Ljubljana
Yugoslav emigrants to Australia
Australian people of Slovenian descent
Blake Prize for Religious Art winners