Modern Crusader

Copied Malvina Hoffman, Modern Crusader, ca. 1917-1919, cast bronze, 18 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄4 x 10 in. (46.5 x 30.0 x 25.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Given in memory of Vaso Trivanovitch by Miriam Hapgood Dewitt and John Dewitt, 1979.123

Artwork Details

Title
Modern Crusader
Artist
Date
ca. 1917-1919
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
18 1⁄4 x 11 3⁄4 x 10 in. (46.5 x 30.0 x 25.4 cm.)
Markings
near bottom edge of base under figure: Malvina Hoffman back of base near lower edge incised: ROMAN BRONZE WORKS INC. N-Y-
Credit Line
Given in memory of Vaso Trivanovitch by Miriam Hapgood Dewitt and John Dewitt
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure
  • Figure male — bust
  • Occupation — military
  • History — medieval
  • Dress — historic — armor
Object Number
1979.123
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1979.123

Artwork Description

Modern Crusader is a portrait of Colonel Milan Pribicevic, a leading figure in the formation of Yugoslavia. Malvina Hoffman modeled it as a gift to him, probably sometime during his visit to the United States on a recruiting mission. It is said that the artist and her sitter fell in love, but that Hoffman would not leave her home and career to get married.

Luce Object Quote

“He was gaunt and weary. His eyes were deep sunk in their sockets . . . Only his firm mouth and his powerful chin showed no trace of the inhuman punishment which his body and soul had received during half a decade of life in the trenches . . .” Nephew of Milan Pribicevic, 1918