19th-Century Arts in the Škofja Loka Area

Ferdinand Runk, A Veduta of Škofja Loka, a watercolour copperplate engraving from the Eder Suite, late 18th century
Ferdinand Runk, A Veduta of Škofja Loka, a watercolour copperplate engraving from the Eder Suite, late 18th century

Castle Gallery, Chapel, Permanent Collections of the Škofja Loka Museum

18 December 2024 - 5 October 2025

Team: Anja Zver, Mojca Šifrer Bulovec, Sara Šifrar Krajnik, Simona Žvanut PhD, Biljana Ristić

The exhibition presents artistic activities in the Škofja Loka area in the 19th century, covering the topics of secular and ecclesiastic painting and sculpture, folk art, collecting and monument protection. The content, which highlights some of the characteristics of Slovenian and European arts and culture, is divided into eight chapters; individual subchapters provide in-depth insight into artistic endeavours directly related to the Škofja Loka area.

The chapters Plein-Air Painting, Woodcarver’s and Painter’s Workshops, Folk Art, Biedermeier, Collecting and the Beginnings of Museums, Historical and Religious Paintings, and Monument Protection present the influences and ideals based on which the 19th-century artists from the Škofja Loka area developed their own individual artistic styles, as well as the examples that inspired art commissions and collections. The content of the chapter Artists from the Škofja Loka Area between Home and Foreign Lands presents the most prominent academy-trained artists and their involvement in local, national and international culture.

Further examples of artistic and cultural activities and individual works of art from the Škofja Loka area are covered in the following subchapters: Vedute, Štefan Šubic’s Workshop in Poljane, Painted Chests, Painted Beehive Panels, Glass Paintings, Wooden Shrines, Bourgeois Culture in Škofja Loka, The Strahl Art Collection, Paintings by Janez and Jurij Šubic at the Rudolfinum, Anton Jebačin in Škofja Loka and Ivan Franke: Portrait of the Wife.

The exhibition features the works of art that are part of the collections kept by the Škofja Loka Museum, the National Gallery of Slovenia, the Slovene Ethnographic Museum and the Gorenjska Museum. The chapter Ivan Franke: Portrait of the Wife was prepared in collaboration with the Restoration Centre of the Slovenian Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. 

The exhibition 19th-Century Arts in the Škofja Loka Area is part of Škofja Loka Museum’s major project focused on the research into the 19th century. To gain a more detailed insight into some of the topics covered by exhibition, you are kindly invited to visit the permanent collections.