ART IN A CROATIAN CHURCH.
Beautiful Paintings Now Adorn Edi-
fice of St. John the Baptist.
While the nuns were saying their evening prayers before the alter in St. John the Baptist Croatian Catholic church, at Fourth street and Barnett avenue in Kansas City, Kas., last night, workmen were busy in the rear of the church tearing away a great wooden scaffolding The scaffold has been used during the last six weeks by Oton Tvekovic, an artist, who has been decorating the church after the manner of the Catholic churches in Croatia.
In the alcove above the alter the artist has painted the figures of Jesus and the prophets Jeremiah, Isias and Elias. The figures are somewhat larger than life size and are skillfully executed. In the north alcove of the church the artist has executed a painting thirty-eight feet in length, which represents the prophets, Cyril and Methodus, on their presentation to Prince Rastislav of the Slavonic peoples. Thee picture tells the story of these two apostles who first carried the Christian religion to the Slavs at the close of the eighth century.
An unfinished picture in the south alcove will, when completed, represent the birth of Christ. In the ceiling of the church the pictures of the twelve apostles will be executed. Mr. Tvekovic is a native of Agrin, Croatia. He is a graduate of the Fine Arts institute in Vienna, and is a professor of art in the fine arts schools of Karlsruhe and Munich. He is staying with the Rev. M. D. Krmpotich, pastor of the church. Besides being a portrait painter, Mr. Tvekovic is a landscape artist of note. He has several sketches which he will place on display soon at 416 East Eleventh street, Kansas City, Mo.
Father Krmpotich said last night that his church was the first Croatian church in America to be decorated as are the churches in the mother country. Besides the pictures of the Biblical characters, the church has been decorated in the national colors of Croatia. Several designs peculiar to Croatia have been worked into the decorative scheme, and when finished the interior of the church will present a picturesque and pleasing appearance. Father Krmpotich organized St. John the Baptist parish seven years ago. Since that time a substantial brick church, a rectory and a school have been built. The parish now comprises more than 150 Croatian families, and is in a flourishing condition.
