Every island tells its story through the people who shape it — the dreamers, explorers, artists and inventors whose work transcends their time.
One of those figures on the island of Hvar is Ivan Vučetić, born in 1858 in the namesake town that still carries his brilliance in its air. Known to the world as the father of dactyloscopy, the science of fingerprint identification, Vučetić forever changed the way humanity understands identity, proving that every person, like every island, is utterly unique.
The mark of a visionary
Vučetić’s legacy lives not only in the pages of scientific history but also in the very streets, parks and art of his hometown. Contrary to what a BBC journalist once assumed, Hvar honours its genius wholeheartedly with a museum, a park, a street, a bust and a remarkable mosaic dedicated to him.
That mosaic, titled “Otisak Prsta” (Fingerprint), was created in 2006 by the beloved Hvar-born artist and writer Tonka Alujević, a woman whose creative energy captures the island as vividly as the Adriatic sun. Her mosaic is a tribute to Vučetić’s discovery and a conversation between art, memory and identity.
Tonka once said that artists cannot take full responsibility for ideas, because “they float around, choosing themselves whose head to land upon.” But the real challenge, she explains, lies in realising those ideas and transforming inspiration into something that can be touched, walked upon and felt. And so she chose to work in the city park of Hvar, placing the mosaic at ground level, letting it naturally blend into the flow of the old town as though it had always belonged there.
A tribute set in stone
The mosaic was made using traditional techniques, without pre-bought tesserae. Every small tile was cut, shaped and fitted by hand. Its uneven surface gives life to the artwork, allowing the light to play across it differently each day. As the sun moves, different parts of the fingerprint emerge as a living and breathing metaphor for identity itself.
The fingerprint Tonka immortalised belongs to her mother, specifically, the left index finger of her left hand. “She was the first person to buy me a small fishing rod,” Tonka recalls, “with which I tried to catch fish right from this very spot.” Within the mosaic’s delicate lines lie fragments of her own story: childhood games under the trees, daring leaps, laughter, first loves and endless goodbyes. It is a map of memory and a symbol of returning home.
When the rain falls, the figures within the mosaic fade, almost disappearing. It is a reminder that art, like life, changes with the elements. The fingerprint itself faces south, “towards where our warmth and culture have always come from. Hands and faces should never turn away from the sea,” Tonka says.
Art born from the heart of Hvar
This mosaic speaks deeply to what makes Hvar so extraordinary. It is an island alive with creators who carry it into the world through art, science, music and vision. We love sharing these stories with our guests because they remind us that Hvar is a living canvas of human ingenuity, emotion and heritage.
