Alex Dzigurski Sr.

Art Brokerage: Alexander Dzigurski Yugoslavian Artist: Alexander Dzigurski was born of Serbian parents in 1911 in Stari Becej, Yugoslavia. He received a formal education in art at Belgrade's School of Art and in 1936 graduated from the Academy of Art in Munich, Germany. Upon completion of his studies in Germany, the young artist returned to his native country and embarked on his career in art, devoting himself primarily to portraiture and then to sacred painting. His reputation grew and he was commissioned to decorate the interior of seven churches. He was, however, never allowed to finish his last commission as World War II erupted and Germany invaded his country. After serving in World War II, Dzigurski returned home, but life under Tito's communist regime quickly became unbearable for the artist. He fled to Italy where he remained for several years, painting along the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts and, in 1949, emigrated with his wife and daughter to the United States. Dzigurski then traveled the United States extensively as well as Canada and Europe, devoting his time to painting ocean views and landscapes. Marine paintings, though, were without a doubt his forte. A New York Times critic once characterized Dzigurski as "poet of the sea" and commented that "few marine painters have been able to tell the story of the sea so beautifully. His water is wet, deep and alive"! Be it a captivating scene of the California Coast, a majestic view of the Grand Tetons or a panorama of the Rockies, Dzigurski's paintings are pure magic. The artist was unavoidably drawn to the sea, although mountainous landscapes dramatically touched him as well. They reminded him of happy days spent as a young artist in the Alps. Today, the works of Alexander Dzigurski are found in many prestigious collections, such as those of Nelson Rockefeller, Henry Ford II, and Thomas La Follette, and are on permanent display at the Ford Museum in Detroit. Listings wanted by Art Brokerage.