Ivan Generalić is heralded as the original driving force behind Croatian “naïve” art. He was born in the small town of Hlebine in 1914, where he also attended the local primary school until he was deemed old enough to work as a cowherd and a peasant farmer. Ever since he could remember, Generalić liked to draw, using whatever materials were available: it might be a freshly painted gate he adorned with chalk, a patch of earth engraved with a sharp stick, or the drawing block and pencil he took to carrying around with him. When the other cowherds took a break for a nap or a bite to eat, Generalić would retrieve his drawing materials and record the life of peasants.

Generalić claimed that initially his neighbors did not think much of his work because it did not fulfill their notion of what art 'should' be. However, since he drew for his own personal fulfilment and not for critical acclaim, this criticism did not deter him. Acclaim did follow, although it was first voiced in the more urban center of Zagreb rather than in the local community that inspired him. In 1953, Generalić moved with his first wife, Anka Kolarek, to Paris, where he worked and exhibited for two months. Although this move increased his exposure to a variety of art and experiences, he never lost his own manner of painting. He continued to depict his own ideas and peasant values.

When Anka died in 1975, Generalić moved to Sigetec, another village close to Hlebine, where he married for a second time. He continued to paint and enjoyed offering guidance to younger artists, such as Dragan Gazi, in the same region. Generalić died in 1992, leaving behind an inspired art movement.