Hlebine Attractions

A few minutes drive east of Koprivnica is the town of Hlebine, famous for the Naïve Style paintings that originate here and were produced by the locals in this area. In the 1930s a group of peasant painters, led by Professor Krsto Hegedusic, founded the well known Hlebine School of Naïve Art. Hegedusic was impressed by the works of local, untrained painters, Ivan Generalic and Franjo Mraz. These two artists along with Mirko Virko Virius are now known as the founding fathers of Croatian Naïve art. The artwork portrays the life and landscape of the local peasant population. The Hlebine Art Gallery displays works by these artists and others, giving a good overview of Naïve art in general. Another gallery in town, the Galerija Josip Generalic (Josip Generalic Gallery) can also be visited by appointment.