Summary
New Life is a bronze sculptural group by Vladimir Herljević in a public space in Pučišća. The work is connected with the artist’s long stays and exhibitions on Brač.
New Life is a bronze sculptural group by Vladimir Herljević in a public space in Pučišća. The work is connected with the artist’s long stays and exhibitions on Brač.
A sculptor’s gift to Pučišća
Vladimir Herljević connected part of his life and work with Pučišća and his family estate in the village. Art historian Vanja Kovačić’s essay describes the exhibition of the composition New Life alongside an exhibition in 2018. In 2022, the municipal council accepted a bronze version as a gift from the artist.
Herljević studied sculpture in Zagreb under Antun Augustinčić and worked for many years in his master workshop. An expert essay on his gifts to Pučišća highlights the figure and the female nude as important themes in his work. New Life is part of this exploration of the human body, developed as a group of interconnected figures.
Composition and public space
The sculpture consists of two figures who draw close and support a smaller figure between them. Their rounded forms and the way they connect emphasise their relationship. Set on a stone pedestal, the work is part of the public harbour space by the sea.
The municipal decision connects the installation of New Life with the relocation of Augustinčić’s stone sculpture In the Sun. These are two different works; their titles and materials should not be confused.
Access and visiting
The composition stands in Pučišća’s coastal public space. On Google Maps, the marker has the generic name Statua; the name New Life and the attribution are linked to municipal documents and comparison with the visible composition. The sculpture is not a playground or climbing structure.
