Art of Slovenia refers to all forms of visual art in or associated with

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, both before and after the country's Independence from

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

in 1991. Art in Slovenia has been shaped by a number of Slovenian painters, sculptors, architects, photographers, graphics artists, comics, illustration, and conceptual artists. The most prestigious institutions exhibiting works of Slovene visual artists are the

National Gallery of Slovenia The National Gallery of Slovenia ( sl, Narodna galerija) is the national art gallery of Slovenia. It is located in the capital Ljubljana. It was founded in 1918, after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the establishment of the State of Sloven ...

and the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

Painting

Historically,

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

and

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

in Slovenia was in the late 18th and the 19th century marked by

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

(

Matevž Langus Matevž (puréed beans with cracklings) is a Slovene national dish. The dish is typical of central Slovenia, especially of the Kočevje region. It is made of beans and potatoes. Its origins come from the 19th century. Originally, the lower soci ...

Biedermeier The ''Biedermeier'' period was an era in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848 during which the middle class grew in number and the arts appealed to common sensibilities. It began with the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in ...

(

Giuseppe Tominz Giuseppe Tominz, also known as Jožef Tominc (6 July 179024 April 1866), was an Italian-Slovene painter from the Austrian Littoral. He worked mostly in the cultural milieu of the upper bourgeoisie in the Austrian Illyrian Kingdom. He was one of ...

) and

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

(

Michael Stroy Michael Stroy (Slovenized: ''Mihael Stroj'', 30 September 1803 in Ljubno – 19 December 1871 in Ljubljana) was an Austro-Hungarian painter of Slovenian origin. Life Michael Stroy was born the fifth of eight children to Anton Stroy and his wif ...

). The first art exhibition in Slovenia was organised in the late 19th century by

Ivana Kobilca Ivana Kobilca (20 December 1861 – 4 December 1926) is the most prominent Slovenes, Slovene female Painting, painter and a key figure of Slovene cultural identity. She was a Realism (arts), realist painter who studied and worked in Vienna, Munich ...

, who worked in realistic tradition.

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

artists include painters

Matej Sternen Matej Sternen (20 September 1870 – 28 June 1949) was a leading Slovene Impressionist painter. Sternen was born in Verd, now part of the Carniolan municipality of Vrhnika, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and baptized ''Matthæus Str ...

Matija Jama Matija Jama (4 January 1872 – 6 April 1947) was a Slovene painter. Together with Rihard Jakopič, Ivan Grohar and Matej Sternen, he is considered among the best representatives of Impressionism in the Slovene Lands. Life Jama was born in L ...

Rihard Jakopič Rihard Jakopič (12 April 1869 – 21 April 1943) was a Slovene painter. He was the leading Slovene Impressionist painter, patron of arts and theoretician. Together with Matej Sternen, Matija Jama and Ivan Grohar, he is considered the pionee ...

Ivan Grohar Ivan Grohar (15 June 1867 – 19 April 1911) was a Slovene Impressionist painter. Together with Rihard Jakopič, Matej Sternen, and Matija Jama, he is considered one of the leading figures of Slovene impressionism in the fin de siecle ...

whose ''The Sower'' (Slovene: Sejalec) was depicted on the €0.05

Slovenian euro coins Slovenian euro coins were first issued for circulation on 1 January 2007 and a unique feature is designed for each coin. The design of approximately 230 million Slovenian euro coins (total value of approximately €80 million) was unveiled on 7 Oct ...

, and a sculptor

Franc Berneker Franc Berneker (October 4, 1874 – May 16, 1932) was a 19th- and early-20th-century Slovene tomb sculptor, who had a strong impact on Slovenj Gradec gaining recognition for his work in bronze, marble and monuments. His art focus went from realis ...

, who introduced the impressionism to Slovenia. Espressionist painters include

Veno Pilon Veno Pilon (22 September 1896 – 23 September 1970) was a Slovene expressionist painter, graphic artist and photographer. Biography Pilon was born in Ajdovščina, then part of the Austro-Hungarian province of Gorizia and Grad ...

and

Tone Kralj Tone Kralj (23 August 1900 – 9 September 1975) was a Slovene sculptor and painter also known for his wall paintings and illustrations. Kralj was born in Zagorica near Dobrepolje in Lower Carniola in 1900. He studied sculpture in Prague betw ...

whose picture book, reprinted thirteen times, is now the most recognisable image of the folk hero

Martin Krpan Martin Krpan is a fictional character created on the basis of the Inner Carniolan oral tradition by the 19th-century Slovene writer Fran Levstik in the short story ''Martin Krpan from Vrh pri Sveti Trojici'' ( sl, Martin Krpan z Vrha pri Sveti ...

Sculpture

The renewal of Slovene sculpture begun with Alojz Gangl (1859–1935) who made the first public monument of the notable Enlightenment figure

Valentin Vodnik Valentin Vodnik (3 February 1758 – 8 January 1819) was a Carniolan priest, journalist and poet of Slovene descent. He was active in the late Enlightenment period. He is well known for his contributions in writing materials that lifted the p ...

and provided ''The Genius of the Theatre'' and other statues for the

Slovenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre The Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet ( sl, Slovensko narodno gledališče Opera in balet Ljubljana, ), or shortly Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet, is Slovenia's national opera and ballet company. Its seat is the Ljubljana Opera Ho ...

building.

Architecture

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that form ...

in Slovenia was introduced by

Max Fabiani Maximilian Fabiani, commonly known as Max Fabiani ( it, Massimo, sl, Maks) (29 April 1865 – 12 August 1962) was a cosmopolitan trilingual architect and town planner of mixed Italian-Austrian ancestry, born in the village of Kobdilj near Š ...

, and in the mid-war period,

Jože Plečnik Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a Slovene architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, most notably by designing the iconic Triple Bridge and ...

and

Ivan Vurnik Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...

. In the second half of the 20th century, the national and universal style were merged by the architects

Edvard Ravnikar Edvard Ravnikar (4 December 1907 – 23 August 1993) was a Slovenian architect. Ravnikar was born in Novo Mesto and was a student of architect Jože Plečnik. Later, he led the new generation of Slovene architects, notable for developing t ...

and

Marko Mušič Marko Marijan Mušič (born 30 January 1941) is a Slovenian architect. He has designed buildings in cities such as Zagreb, Skopje and Ljubljana. Since May 2008 he has been a vice-president of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU). W ...

Photography

In 1841,

Janez Puhar Johann Augustin Pucher ( sl, Janez Avguštin Puhar or ''Ivan Pucher''; August 26, 1814 – August 7, 1864) was a Slovene priest, scientist, photographer, artist, and poet who invented an unusual process for making photographs on glass. Although ...

(1814–1864) invented a process for photography on glass, recognized on June 17, 1852 in Paris by the French Academy of Agriculture, Handicrafts, and Commerce.

Gojmir Anton Kos Gojmir Anton Kos (January 24, 1896 – May 22, 1970) was a Slovene academy-trained painter, photographer, and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. Gojmir was born in the town of Gorizia (then part of Austria-Hungary, now in Ital ...

was a notable realist painter and photographer between the First World War and Second World War. The first photographer from Slovenia whose work was published by ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' magazine is Arne Hodalič

Graphics

CvetkovicYugoslavia649AnophelesMosquito4-7-62-BJakac

During World War II, numerous graphics were created by

Božidar Jakac Božidar Jakac (July 16, 1899 – November 20, 1989) was a Slovene Expressionist, Realist and Symbolist painter, printmaker, art teacher, photographer and filmmaker. He produced one of the most extensive oeuvres of pastels and oil paintings ...

, who helped establish the post-war Academy of Visual Arts in Ljubljana.

Comics

Milko Bambič Milko Bambič (26 April 1905 – 20 May 1991) also known by the nicknames Cvetanov and Banetov, was a prolific illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, inventor, children's writer, publicist, and painter from the Slovene minority in Ital ...

is known for the first Slovene

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

'' Little Negro Bu-ci-bu'', an allegory of

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

's career, and as the creator of the ''Three Hearts'' () brand, still used today by

Radenska Radenska is a Slovenia-based worldwide known brand of mineral water, trademark of Radenska d.o.o. company. It is one of the oldest Slovenian brands. Brand history Development of the mineral water company started at Radenci in 1869, when Karl ...

. After the WW II the

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

drawn by

Miki Muster Nikolaj Muster (22 November 1925 – 7 May 2018), known as Miki Muster, was a Slovenian academic sculptor, illustrator, cartoonist, and animator. He is viewed as a pioneer in the field of comics and animation in Slovenia, known for the series of ...

gained popularity in Slovenia.

Illustration

In 1917

Hinko Smrekar Hinko Smrekar (13 July 1883 – 1 October 1942) was a Slovenian painter, draughtsman, caricaturist, graphic artist, and illustrator. Smrekar was a member of the Vesna Art Club, which was active in Vienna, and a partisan in the Liberatio ...

illustrated the notable

Fran Levstik Fran Levstik (28 September 1831 – 16 November 1887) was a Slovene writer, political activist, playwright and critic. He was one of the most prominent exponents of the Young Slovene political movement. Life and work Levstik was born in 18 ...

book about the Slovene folk hero. The

children's books A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

illustrators include a number of women illustrators, such as

Marlenka Stupica Marlenka Stupica (, 17 December 1927 – 17 June 2022) was a Slovene children's book illustrator. She illustrated over one hundred books for children and is considered one of the top Slovene illustrators. Life and work Stupica was born as Marl ...

Marija Lucija Stupica Marija Lucija Stupica (13 December 1950 – 28 May 2002) was a Slovene children's book illustrator. Stupica was born in Ljubljana in 1950. She was the daughter of the acclaimed Slovene illustrator Marlenka Stupica and famous painter Gabrijel S ...

, Ančka Gošnik Godec, Marjanca Jemec Božič, and Jelka Reichman. Many generations of children have been educated by the technical and science illustrations created by

Božo Kos Božo Kos (3 November 1931 – 19 April 2009) was a Slovenes, Slovene illustrator, caricature, caricaturist and comics, comics artist. He illustrated over forty children's books and his illustrations appeared in numerous magazines for children ...

and published in Slovenian children's magazines, such as Ciciban. Recently,

Lila Prap Lilijana Praprotnik Zupančič (born 28 September 1955), known by the pen name Lila Prap, is a Slovene illustrator and writer. She is best known for her humorous Picture book, children's picture books, published both in her native Slovenia and abr ...

's illustrations gained popularity in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

where children's cartoons based on her illustrations have been televised.

Conceptual art

A number of conceptual visual art groups formed, including OHO, Group 69, and

IRWIN Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango County, Pe ...

. Nowadays, the Slovene visual arts are diverse, based on tradition, reflect the influence of neighbouring nations and are intertwinned with modern European movements.