How and to what extent the historical circumstances determined the life of Cavtat and its inhabitants at the turn of the 20th century we could find out on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 5 PM in the House Bukovac. Curator and historian of the Museum and Galleries of Konavle Marko Vodopija gave a lecture Historical context of Bukovac's Cavtat, where he presented to many locals, political events that took place in Cavtat and the wider area, which determined the social and economic trends at the turn of the 19th to 20th century.
From Bukovac's autobiography, one can read about the life circumstances in which people lived during the turn of the century, as a result of political turmoil. Cavtat at that time was a province of the great Austro-Hungarian monarchy, far from the centers, impoverished and hopeless. While maritime affairs are developing in other parts of the Adriatic, Cavtat's maritime affairs are lagging behind, there are no roads or railways. Sailboats are the only vessels in Cavtat's maritime circles. Its inhabitants are focused on emigration, which young Bukovac has felt from an early age. Apart from seafaring and fishing, the people of Cavtat did not have a greater life perspective. Paradoxically, at that same time, Cavtat was put on the map of important centers on the Adriatic by exceptional individuals who were active at that time: Baltazar Bogišić, Frano Supilo, Luko Zore, Đuro Bijelić, Pavlina Bijelić, Bukovac himself and others.
Although he left Cavtat in his youth, Vlaho Bukovac always returned to Cavtat and participated in the life of his hometown. The extent to which he relativized the historical circumstances is also shown by his constant reconciliation, which he advocated between the warring political parties in Cavtat.
By presenting political portraits Vodopija portrayed historical figures of Bukovac's time who were often on opposite sides: Medo Pucić, Miho Klaić, Pero Čingrija, and others. Bukovac encountered disunion in Zagreb as well as in Cavtat on his return in 1898. For him, the incomprehensible but real political reality of that time. The quarrels were also transmitted to societies that operate in culture and education, which drives Bukovac even more from his hometown. His painting Carnival in Epidaurus is an example of his need to unite the warring parties.
However, Bukovac does not carry any controversy in the memory of the people of Cavtat, unlike other prominent Cavtat dignitaries.
