Historical painting denotes depictions of events that happened before the time in which the painting was created. In Croatia, historical painting is closely related to national movements during the 19th and 20th centuries and can be divided into four periods: the first period (until 1860.), the early period (1860. to 1893.), the central period (1893. until 1918.) and the late period (after 1918). One of the most prominent representatives of historical painting in Croatia is Mato Celestin Medović, whose works significantly enriched the national cultural heritage. Medović was a key figure in the development of Croatian historical painting. He created his first major work with a mythological theme, Bakanal, in 1893. during his studies in Munich. For the Golden Hall at Opatička 10 in Zagreb, he created monumental historical paintings: The Council of Split in 925. (1897.), Arrival of the Croats (1903.), Coronation of Ladislav of Naples (1905.) and Engagement of King Zvonimir (1907.). These works not only depict key moments in Croatian history, but also construct the spirit of the time in which they were created. Three more paintings were intended for the Hall, but were not realized, namely: The Battle of Grobnik field (1905., sketch in the Sarajevo Art Gallery), Baptism of the Croats (1905., sketch in private ownership) and the Parliament in Cetin in 1527. (1909., sketch in private ownership). The painting Martyrs of Srijem (1895.) was the first painting intended for the Hall, but it ended up in Budapest in the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum). Medović also created several portraits: Portraits of Ruđer Bošković, Portrait of Cvijeta Zuzorić, Portrait of Ivan Gundulić and Portrait of Niccolo Tommaseo. Through his paintings, Medović managed to conjure up the spirit of the past and convey it to the contemporary viewer, thus leaving a lasting contribution not only to Croatian art but also to the wider European cultural context.