Sold at Auction: Jovan Obican

Born in France to Yugoslavian parents, Jovan Obican spent years training in various media. Jovan Obican drawings were unquestionably technically masterful and nonetheless possessed a childlike whimsy. With bold outlines and bright colors, early paintings by Jovan Obican depicted the Yugoslavian people and folktales to which he felt bonded. Indeed, even after Obican emigrated to the United States in 1959, he maintained a studio in Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia.

The subjects of Jovan Obican's paintings turned to traditional Jewish ceremonies as he learned more about his history. He was a prolific and diverse artist, unwed to a particular form, and Jovan Obican created lithographs as well. This type of early mass reproduction suited Obican's style well, since they were primitive yet technical. Collectors will find lithographs for sale at auction indicative of this form and style.