The bust Dekle z mandolino (Girl with a Mandolin) was created during the time Gorjup spent attending the sculpture department of the Zagreb Art Academy. At this period he was influenced by his professor Ivan Mestrovic, from whom he took over the monumental and stylized forms derived from Secession. The earliest sculptures made from plaster are the result of a realistic observation with expression of inner pain. The bust is distinguished by lyrical harmony and decorative stylisation. (Google Arts, 17.06.2020)