Kustos zbirki: Margarita Sveštarov Šimat, Museum Counsellor / magi@hazu.hr

M. Sveštarov Šimat graduated in 1979 the history of art and archaeology at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb. She stayed on several occasions abroad, participating in research work and in specialisation programmes. In 1976, she started working at the A. and W. Topić Mimara Arts Collection; since 1997, she has worked at the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, being involved in the work regarding the collections of prints and drawings of old masters (15th-19th century).
In 2001, M. Sveštarov Šimat was appointed museum counsellor. In 1997, she enrolled in the graduate study at the History of Art Department of theFaculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb (Iconography of Nikola and Petar Zrinski in 17th century). She subsequently started the doctoral study.
She collaborated with the aforementioned topic in the scientific project (lead by Dr. Jadranka Damjanov), the results of which were published in 2000-2002.
M. Sveštarov Šimat writes and publishes expert and scientific papers on old masters from various problem aspects (attributive: Francesco Guardi, Jean Baptiste Greuze); (iconographic: the portraits of Zrinskis in the European prints of 17th century); (reception-related: prints after Andrea Meldolla). She participated in several scientific symposia and expert meetings in the field of museology.
She had published catalogues of exhibitions of the material from the holdings of the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, having performed the monographic analysis of the material in the catalogues of the collection (Italian masters of 16th, 17th and 18th centuries); furthermore, she analysed the aspect of development and the specific characteristics of techniques (Etchings and copperplates of old masters); she moreover fulfilled the educational function (exhibition and catalogue of the facsimiles of old masters). In her exhibitions, M. Sveštarov Šimat particularly develops the educational aspect as well as the aspect of the extension of the reception and understanding of prints.
She collaborated in the Prints and Drawings Triennials as section leader (the international section and the confrontation section). She authored exhibitions and catalogues of the contemporary print artists (Canogar, Zigaina, Prica) as well as the monographs of graphic artists (Hamo Čavrk and Zlatko Prica in preparation).
She is an active critic of art (continued co-operation with the periodical Vijenac; periodical co-operation with Kontura and the international periodical Grapheion). At intervals, she is involved in the exhibitions of contemporary artists’ works (concepts and introductions).
Since 2003/2004, M. Sveštarov Šimat has been the editor-in-chief of Grafika, the international quarterly prints-related periodical; for Grafika, she writes papers, critical reviews and translations.