Matej Sternen
Encyclopedia
Matej Sternen was a leading Slovene Impressionist painter
.
Sternen was born in Verd
, now part of the Carniola
n municipality of Vrhnika
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He attended the secondary school
in Krško
and attended technical school in Graz
between 1888 and 1891. After finishing the school in Graz, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
. In 1897 he left Vienna for Munich
, where he studied at Anton Ažbe
's private art school. He lived and worked in the Bavaria
n capital until Ažbe's death in 1905.
Sternen became acquainted with Impressionism already in Graz. In Vienna, he saw the original paintings of several French impressionists. In Munich he with fellow countrymed Rihard Jakopič
and Matija Jama
, two other representatives of Slovene impressionism.
Unlike them, Sternen preferred figurative art, and his work consists mostly of portraits and female nudes.
He became known chiefly as a restorer and conservator of old paintings, and dedicated the majority of his later life to restoration. He partly restored and partly repainted the ceiling in the Franciscan church in Ljubljana, originally decorated by Matevž Langus in the mid 19th century, but badly damaged in the Ljubljana earthquake of 1895.
During World War II
, Sternen sympathized with the pro-Nazi collaborationist policy of general Leon Rupnik
and even painted a portrait of him. He nevertheless suffered no persecution after the end of the war. He died in Ljubljana on 28 June 1949 and was buried in the Žale
cemetery.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Sternen was born in Verd
Verd
Verd is a settlement to the south of Vrhnika in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. The Verd viaduct on the A1 motorway from Ljubljana to Koper runs above the settlement....
, now part of the Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
n municipality of Vrhnika
Vrhnika
Vrhnika is a town and a municipality in Slovenia. It is situated on the Ljubljanica River, 21 km from Ljubljana along the A1 motorway.-History:...
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He attended the secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Krško
Krško
Krško is a town and municipality in eastern Slovenia. The town lies on the Sava River. The area is traditionally divided between Lower Styria and Lower Carniola...
and attended technical school in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
between 1888 and 1891. After finishing the school in Graz, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is an institution of higher education in Vienna, Austria.- History :The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy by the court-painter Peter Strudl, who became the Praefectus Academiae Nostrae. In 1701 he was ennobled as Baron of the Empire...
. In 1897 he left Vienna for Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he studied at Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe
Anton Ažbe was a Slovene realist painter and teacher of painting.Ažbe, crippled since birth and orphaned at the age of 8, learned painting as an apprentice to Janez Wolf and at the Academies in Vienna and Munich. At the age of 30 Ažbe founded his own school of painting in Munich that became a...
's private art school. He lived and worked in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n capital until Ažbe's death in 1905.
Sternen became acquainted with Impressionism already in Graz. In Vienna, he saw the original paintings of several French impressionists. In Munich he with fellow countrymed Rihard Jakopič
Rihard Jakopic
Rihard Jakopič was a Slovenian painter. He was the leading Slovenian Impressionist painter and theoretician. Together with Matej Sternen, Matija Jama and Ivan Grohar, he is considered the pioneer of Slovenian impressionist painting.- Life :Jakopič was born in Ljubljana, then part of the...
and Matija Jama
Matija Jama
Matija Jama 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 :...
, two other representatives of Slovene impressionism.
Unlike them, Sternen preferred figurative art, and his work consists mostly of portraits and female nudes.
He became known chiefly as a restorer and conservator of old paintings, and dedicated the majority of his later life to restoration. He partly restored and partly repainted the ceiling in the Franciscan church in Ljubljana, originally decorated by Matevž Langus in the mid 19th century, but badly damaged in the Ljubljana earthquake of 1895.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Sternen sympathized with the pro-Nazi collaborationist policy of general Leon Rupnik
Leon Rupnik
Leon Rupnik, also known as Lav Rupnik or Lev Rupnik was a Slovene general during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia who collaborated with the Fascist Italian and Nazi German occupation forces during World War II...
and even painted a portrait of him. He nevertheless suffered no persecution after the end of the war. He died in Ljubljana on 28 June 1949 and was buried in the Žale
Žale
Žale Central cemetery , often abbreviated to Žale, is the largest and the central cemetery in Ljubljana. It is located in the Bežigrad district and operated by the Žale Public Company.- History :...
cemetery.
Works
- Rdeči parazol (The Red Parasol) (1904), National Gallery, Ljubljana
- Ulica v Münchnu (A Street in Munich), National Gallery, Ljubljana
- Pomladno sonce (Spring Sun), National Gallery, Ljubljana
- Na divanu (On the Couch) (1909), National Gallery, Ljubljana
- Frescos on ceiling of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation (1935), In situ, Franciscan Church, Ljubljana
External links
- Institute for Slovenian Studies, Melbourne site with Sonja Vadnjal's article about Sternen
- National Gallery of Slovenia site
Sources
- France Stele: Slovene Impressionists, Olympic Marketing Corp, 1980, ISBN 9780898931075