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Ivan Gundulić

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In this name that followsEastern Slavic naming customs,thepatronymicisFranovand thefamily nameisGundulić.
Ivan Gundulić
BornDživo Franov Gundulić
8 January 1589
Dubrovnik,Republic of Ragusa
(modern-dayCroatia)
DiedDecember 8, 1638(1638-12-08)(aged 49)
Dubrovnik,Republic of Ragusa
(modern-dayCroatia)
Pen nameIvan Gundulić
(from 19th century on)
OccupationPoet
CitizenshipRepublic of Ragusa
PeriodBaroque
Notable worksTears of the Prodigal Son,Osman,Dubravka

Dživo Franov Gundulić(Italian:Gianfrancesco Gondola;8 January 1589 – 8 December 1638), better known today asIvan Gundulić,was the most prominentBaroquepoet from theRepublic of Ragusa(now inCroatia).[1][2][3]He is regarded as the Croatiannational poet.[4]His work embodies central characteristics ofRoman CatholicCounter-Reformation:religious fervor, insistence on "vanityof this world "and zeal in opposition to"infidels".Gundulić's major works—theepic poemOsman,thepastoralplayDubravka,and the religiouspoemTears of the Prodigal Son(based on theParable of the Prodigal Son)—are examples of Baroque stylistic richness and, frequently, rhetorical excess.

Life and works

Gundulić was born inDubrovnikinto a wealthy Ragusan noble family (seeHouse of Gundulić) on 8 January 1589. Son of Francesco di Francesco Gundulić (Frano Franov Gundulić, senator and diplomat, once the Ragusan envoy to Constantinople and councilor of the Republic to the Pope Gregory VIII) and Dživa Gradić (de Gradi). He received an excellent education. He probably studied the humanities with the JesuitSilvestro Muzioand philosophy withRidolfo Ricasoliand Camillo Camilli,[5]who in late 1590 had been appointedrettore delle scuole e professore di umane letterein Ragusa. After that he studied Roman law and jurisprudence in general,[6]where he held numerous offices for the Great Council of the Republic. In 1608, when he was nineteen, he became a member of the Veliko vieće (Great Council). Twice, in 1615 and 1619, he held the temporary function of knez (commissary or governor) of Konavle, an area southeast of the city.

At the age of thirty he married Nicoleta Sorkočević (Sorgo) (died 1644) who bore him three sons, Frano (Francesco), Mato (Matheo), Šišmundo "Šiško" (Segismondo) and two daughters, Marija "Mare" (Maria) Gondola and Dživa (Giovanna).Fran Dživa GundulićandMato Gundulić(1636–1684) fought in the thirty-years war underWallenstein;the youngest died on January 16, 1682, being by then the Rector of the Republic. From 1621 until his death Ivan held various offices in the city government. In 1636 he became a senator, in 1637 a judge, and in 1638 a member of the Small Council (Malo vieće). Had he lived a little longer – he died of an intense fever, product of an inflammation in his ribs (Folio 15 Libr. Mort. N°274, Adi le Xbre 1638 Ragusa) – he would probably have been electedknez(rector) of the Dubrovnik Republic,the highest function that was held for one month only by meritorious gentlemen at least fifty years old. His father, who died in 1624, had beenknezfive times, and Ivan's sonŠišmundo Gundulićlater four times. Ivan Gundulić was buried in theFranciscan churchof Dubrovnik.

Tomb of Ivan Gundulić in the Franciscan church, Dubrovnik, where his name is spelled as Dživo Franov Gundulić (in dative case, meaning: John, Francis' son, Gundulić)

He began his literary career by writing poems and staging melodramas that became popular in Dubrovnik. But Ivan published only his larger works. His earlier work, which he referred to as a "brood of darkness", is now lost. His first publications were in 1621, when he rewrote several of David's Psalms and wrote several religious poems. He then wrote his famousSuze sina razmetnoga(Tears of the Prodigal Son) in 1622, composed of three "Cries":Sagriešenje(Sin),Spoznanje(Insight) andSkrušenje(Humility). In this poem Ivan presented the three basic categories ofChristian faith:sin, repentance and redemption through contrasts such as between life and death, purity and sin, and Heaven and Hell. In 1637 whenFerdinand II of Tuscanymarried, Gundulić wrote a poem to honor the event, he noted that"all of Slavic people (Slovinski narod) honor you on this occasion".

Dubravka

Gundulić's most famous play isDubravka,apastoralwritten in 1628, where he rhapsodises on the former glory of Dubrovnik and contains some of the most famous verses inCroatian literature:

Osman

In his greatest work,Osman,Gundulić presents the contrasts between Christianity and Islam, Europe and the Turks, West and East, and what he viewed as freedom and slavery.Osmanhad 20 cantos, but the 14th and the 15th were never found. Judging from the modern perspective, two approaches seem to dominate the contemporary appraisal of Gundulić's poetry: on one hand, his poetic influence has dimmed due to a change in aesthetic sensibility (Gundulić's chief literary predecessor and influence,Torquato Tasso,has undergone similar reassessment, but his artistic integrity and individuality have withstood the test of time better); while Gundulić's impact in the final standardisation ofCroatianwas overwhelming.

Bronze relief on the statue of Ivan Gundulić in Dubrovnik, showing a scene from the ninth canto where Sunčanica is taken to the Sultan's harem

Osmanis firmly rooted within the rich literary tradition of the CroatianBaroquein Dubrovnik andDalmatiaand is considered as one of its apogees. By presenting the contrast of struggle between Christianity and Islam, Gundulić continuedMarko Marulić's glorification of the fights against the invadingOttoman Turks.Besides magnifying Slavdom and the battles against the conquerors, Gundulić described the life of the Ottoman sultanOsman II.Gundulić constantly reminds the reader of thewheel of fortuneand how the world is transient.

Osmanbegins with the Sultan's grasping of the situation caused by the 1621 Ottomandefeat at Chocimand descriptions of how the era of pre-Ottoman glory of the Bulgarians, Serbs, Hungarians, Albanians and especially the Poles could be easily restored. According to the storyline, Sultan Osman dispatched Ali-pasha to theKingdom of Polandin order to negotiate peace and Kazlar-aga to choose which Polish noblewoman would suit him best for marriage. Gundulić describes the travels of both Ali-pasha and Kazlar-aga while paying much attention to the battle of Chocim and the enslaved Slavs that suffer under Ottoman rule. After numerous failed attempts to restore order in the empire, the army captures Osman and executes him, bringing the imprisoned Mustafa as the new sultan.

Legacy

Gundulić's DreambyVlaho Bukovac

Osman was printed for the first time in Dubrovnik in 1826, with the two missing cantos being replaced by poems written by the poetPetar Ignjat Sorkočević-Crijević[6](1749–1826), a direct descendant of Ivan Gundulić (his maternal grandmother Nikoleta Gundulić was Šišmundo Gundulić's daughter). Another descendant, BaronVlaho Getaldić(grandson of Katarina Gundulić) introduced a hexameter treaty intoOsmanin 1865.Osmanwas not published in the integral edition until 1844, when theIllyrian movementchose Gundulić's oeuvre as a role model ofCroatian.One of the leading Illyrists' men of letters, politician, linguist and poetIvan Mažuranić,successfully completed Gundulić'sOsmanby composing the last two chapters, which were left unfinished upon the poet's death.

Monument to Ivan Gundulić in Dubrovnik

The monument to Gundulić by the sculptorIvan Rendićwasunveiledon 25 July 1893 in Dubrovnik's largest square, Poljana.

At a charity concert held for the children of war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina in September 1995,Bonorecited at the end of the songMiss Sarajevothe famous Ivan Gundulić verses: "O liepa, o draga, o slatka slobodo" ( "Oh beautiful, oh precious, oh sweet Liberty" ).

TheSunčanicais a historical opera composed byBoris Papandopulo,with a libretto byMarko Soljačićbased on Ivan Gundulić's Osman and his son Šišmundo Gundulić, who continued Osman with the Sunčanica history. It was first performed at theCroatian National Theatre in Zagreb(then theCroatian State Theatre in Zagreb) on June 13, 1942.[7]The opera was produced byBranko Gavella,choreographed byAna RojeandOskar Harmoš,and its main role was played bySrebrenka Jurinac.[7]In 2008, the opera was fully performed for the first time in 62 years when it opened the16th Zajc's Daysfestival at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka.[8]

Gundulić's portrait was depicted on theobverseof the Croatian 50kunabanknote, issued in 1993 and 2002.[9]

Ethnicity

According toJohn Van Antwerp Fine Jr.,"Gundulić spoke of his people as" Slavs "and regarded all Slavs as being one great whole, a single people".[10]Different researchers have described him as aCroatianpoet.[11]According to Marie-Janine Calic, professor of History atLudwig Maximilian University,following theCounter-reformation,a new symbiosis arose between the reformed Catholicism and the (re-)emerging Croatian identity, that undoubtedly influenced the local Baroque art. Thus, this reformed Catholicism was one of the most important factors for developing a separate Croatian ethnic consciousness and Gundulić's poem Osman was expression of distinct Croatian (pre-)national feelings.[12]According to Slobodan Drakulić, professor of sociology atToronto Metropolitan University,the modern Croatian nationalism has as its antecedent a pre-modern Croatian nationalism, which was a 16-17th century indigenous social phenomenon, and one of its representatives was Gundulić.[13]

On the other hand, Gundulić's ethnicity is part of the Serb-Croat distinctions in self-identification of the Western South Slavic enlighteners, that was one of the major problems in 20th century Yugoslavia.[14]

Gundulić like other writers fromDubrovnikwho wrote inShtokavian dialectsince the 1990s are claimed bySerbianscholars as either solely Serbian or a part of joint Serbian and Croatiancultural heritage.[15][16]He has been included inThe 100 most prominent Serbslist compiled by theSANU,and his works are included as a part of theSerbian literatureby theMatica srpska,together with other Ragusian writers, in the fifth volume ofDeset vekova srpske književnosti(Ten centuries of Serbian literature) released in 2010.[17][18]In December 2021 was passed acultural property lawby theSerbian governmentin which Gundulić and other Dubrovnik writers are part of Serbian cultural heritage.[19]Croatian scholars withHAZU,Matica hrvatskaand representatives of theCroatian governmentcondemn both claims about solely Serbian or joint cultural heritage as an example ofGreater Serbianpretension of Croatian history and heritage.[19][20][21]

List of works

First edition cover ofTears of the Prodigal Son

See also

References

  1. ^Gordana P. Crnković, Ivan Gundulić - Croatian author;Encyclopædia Britannica online.
  2. ^Sebok, Marcell (2017-06-30).Practices of Coexistence: Constructions of the Other in Early Modern Perceptions.Central European University Press.ISBN9789633861493.
  3. ^Dvornik, Francis (1962).The Slavs in European history and civilization.Rutgers University Press.Ivan Gundulic Ragusan poet.
  4. ^Fališevac, Dunja (2021-03-19).Gundulić, Ivan(in Croatian). The Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography - Croatian Biographical Lexicon.
  5. ^F.M.Appendini,Versione libera dell'Osmanide,Per Antonio Martecchini, Ragusa 1827
  6. ^abOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Gundulich, Ivan".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 722.
  7. ^ab"Sunčanica".teatar.hr(in Croatian). 2008-10-13. Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2008.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
  8. ^"Sunčanica opera opened the 16th Zajc's Days".javno.com(in Croatian). 2008-10-19. Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2008.RetrievedAugust 20,2014.
  9. ^Croatian National Bank.Features of Kuna BanknotesArchived2009-05-06 at theWayback Machine:50 kunaArchived2011-06-04 at theWayback Machine(1993 issue) &50 kunaArchived2011-06-04 at theWayback Machine(2002 issue). – Retrieved on 30 March 2009.
  10. ^Fine, John V. A. (Jr ) (2010-02-05).When Ethnicity Did Not Matter in the Balkans: A Study of Identity in Pre-Nationalist Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia in the Medieval and Early-Modern Periods.University of Michigan Press. p. 297.ISBN978-0-472-02560-2.
  11. ^
  12. ^Marie-Janine Calic, The Great Cauldron: A History of Southeastern Europe, Harvard University Press, 2019,ISBN0674983920,p. 95.
  13. ^Slobodan Drakulic (2008) Premodern Croatian Nationalism?, in "Nationalism and Ethnic Politics," 14:4, 523-548, DOI: 10.1080/13537110802473308.
  14. ^Zlatko Isaković, Identity and Security in Former Yugoslavia, Routledge Revivals, Edition reprint, Routledge, 2019,ISBN1351733508,p. 59.
  15. ^Alojz Jembrih,Gundulić u srpskom zarobljeništvu,Vijenac,534–535, 4 September 2014, in Serbo-Croatian
  16. ^Mija Pavliša,Zašto srpska književnost ne prisvoji cijelu hrvatsku baštinu,Tportal.hr, 3 March 2015, in Serbo-Croatian
  17. ^Poezija Dubrovnika i Boke Kotorske,Deset vekova srpske književnosti, vol. 111, Matica srpska, 2010
  18. ^Хрватска: Својатање дубровачке поезије у српској едицији.politika.rs(in Serbian). 2011-04-08.RetrievedMarch 12,2014.
  19. ^abDV,Srbija ne odustaje: Novim zakonom opet svojataju djela Držića i Gundulića, naše Ministarstvo kulture i medija priprema im odgovor,Slobodna Dalmacija,16 January 2022, in Serbo-Croatian
  20. ^Mario Grčević,Dubrovačka književnost ni u kojem smislu nije sastavni dio srpske književnosti,Vijenac,516–517, 12 December 2013, in Serbo-Croatian
  21. ^Jasmina Parić,Da su Shakespearea, ovako kao Držića uvrstili u srpske pisce, Britanci bi se samo nasmijali i možda od toga stvorili još jedan montipajtonovski skeč,Slobodna Dalmacija,6 May 2020, in Serbo-Croatian
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