Bela Čikoš Sesija (born Adalbert Csikos Sessia; 27 January 1864 in Osijek – 11 February 1931 in Zagreb) was a Croatian Symbolist painter, art teacher and one of the founders of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb.
Biography
thumb|left|150px|The [[Mourning of Christ]]
Čikoš Sesija's father was a Captain in the border patrol of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. One of the Čikoš' ancestors was a hero at the Battle of the Sesia in 1524 and, as a result, was knighted with the name "Sesija".
Due to his father's reassignments, the family moved frequently and his education was sporadic until he entered the Cadet School at Karlovac in 1874. After graduation, in 1882, Čikoš Sesija was assigned to the 78th Osijek infantry regiment under Baron Josip Šokčević.
Despite having shown no particular aptitude for art, Čikoš Sesija enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna,