From his earliest years Ivan loved to carve wood, using the curved peasant knife which he took with him to the hills each day. Sometimes he made spoons, or knives, or forks, which he proudly brought home to his parents, who commended him for his cleverness. The days were never dull for him; for during the long sunny days on the upland pastures he meditated over the strange stirring tales he had heard at his father’s fireside, and occupied himself with carving all manner of household utensils with his curious old knife. Then, one day, as Ivan gazed at the silent mountains, towering higher and higher until they seemed to reach the sky, he wondered if he could not make other things with his knife such as models of men and women, cattle, and then perhaps of the brave heroes of whom he was so proud. One day he was taken to the town of Sibenik and for the first time saw a cathedral, with its carved saints, gleaming altar and scenes depicted from sacred history. When next he tended the flocks Ivan’s mind was busier than ever. He resolved that he--poor peasant boy though he was--would be a sculptor, with stone as well as with wood, and he would make models of great and good people such as he had seen in Sibenik Cathedral. After that Ivan was busy every hour of his solitary watches, carving some figure either in wood or in stone. He showed the result of his efforts to the village priest who greatly encouraged him, and at his request Ivan made a crucifix for the village church. The boy’s workmanship began to attract attention. A visitor to the district was so impressed that he tried to raise money in the neighbourhood to send Ivan away to pursue his studies under some competent teacher but, although the peasants were all proud of Ivan, they were very poor and the little money they could raise would not be sufficient, so the plan had to be abandoned. By this time Ivan’s father was eager to have him get experience so he apprenticed him to a marble cutter at Split named Bilinic. This was a great adventure for Ivan. He left his humble home among the hills, clad in native dress and wearing his red Croatian cap, and soon he was at work helping to carve crucifixes, angels and various altar ornaments for the local churches. In the evenings he had to do much drudgery and he suffered privation of every kind, but there was no foolish pride in the boy’s heart. He knew that his parents were too poor to pay for his tuition, so he was glad to do even the meanest duties, to pay for his education as a sculptor. About this time a man named Konig became greatly interested in him and through him Ivan was able to pursue his studies in Vienna. He must have seemed a strange figure when, clad in his Serbian peasant’s dress, he reached that great city; soon he discarded these for the corduroys and soft hat so typical of the art students of the Austrian capital.