The subject of the this paper is Emanuel Vidović as a herald of modern art in Croatia. The aim of this paper is to analyze the life and work of Emanuel Vidović. Emanuel Vidović is one of the greatest painters of Croatian modern painting, more precisely one of the greatest Croatian post-impressionist artists. In his many years of work, he painted numerous works, most of which have been preserved to this day. In his paintings Vidović depicts landscapes, still lifes, views and interiors, mostly using oil paints. His gouaches are also significant, as well as his experiments with watercolors and tempera. He created many portraits of caricatures of prominent and famous people of Split and people from the area, which he published in the humorous-satirical magazine Duje Balavac, which is especially interesting because he rarely depicted human figures in his paintings. In addition, he founded and actively worked within the Society of Croatian Artists „Medulić“ whose emphasis was on the political ideas of uniting all southern Slavs and opposing the policy of Austro-Hungary, but Vidović remained true to himself, the absence of ideology in art and discreet symbolism of his landscape, thus standing out among the members of that Society. Over the decades of his artistic creation, he went through various painting directions, from Impressionism all the way to post-Impressionist intimacy, but he always remained consistent and authentic. His last phase of creativity is marked by intimacy because Vidović shows intimate atmospheres, interiors in which he stayed and in which he felt comfortable, and exteriors, especially still life. His hometown of Split recognized the importance of his paintings for Croatian art and repaid him with the opening of the Emanuel Vidović Gallery, with the core of the permanent exhibition consisting of numerous Vidović works purchased from his successors.