1936 Commemorative Edition Of "portrait Of Mermoz" By Milivoy Uzelac

Commemorative lithograph from 1936 depicting Jean Mermoz, created by Milivoy Uzelac following his plane crash in 1936.

Milivoy Uzelac (1897–1977) was a painter, draftsman, and illustrator of Croatian origin (formerly Yugoslavia). A key figure in Zagreb’s modern art scene in the early 1920s, he later moved to France, where he exhibited notably at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. His work, which is partly associated with the “Return to Order” movement, is particularly renowned for his portraits, literary illustrations, and posters. Milivoy Uzelac created the bust portrait of Jean Mermoz in 1936 as a commemorative piece. It was that year that the famous aviator went missing at sea aboard the La Croix-du-Sud seaplane, off the coast of Dakar. Created shortly after the tragedy, this drawing was part of a national tribute to the heroic figure of the Aéropostale. The work was subsequently widely distributed as a lithograph.