The National Gallery in Ljubljana is marking its 100th anniversary in the company of Ivana Kobilca, the painter who succeeded in doing that which her other Slovene colleagues could only dream about. Her paintings were put on display three times at the renowned Salon in Paris, making her one of the most successful Slovene painters of all time.
Her work will be presented with a big exhibition in Ljubljana. In the centre of attention will of course be her most famous works: Poletje (Summer) and Kofetarica (Coffeemadam). However, special attention this time will also be given to her less known works, which are now part of private collections and are rarely put on public display.
Today there are around 350 known works created by Ivana Kobilca. On display at the National Gallery are around 140 of them with different themes and from different periods. The preparation of the extensive exhibition has also brought new insights into the life of the Slovene painter, who spent most of her life painting in other European capitals.
The organizers of the exhibition also created a catalogue of the new owners of Kobilca's paintings, documenting the Berlin and Sarajevo periods of her creative work. Some of the paintings and frameworks have been restored and cleaned, and many new documents have also been examined.
Still unknown Kobilca works
Ivana Kobilca mostly focused on private orders and her works today can be found scattered among numerous locations. The gallery, thus, also contacted private owners to help complete the list of her paintings. The director of the National Gallery, Barbara Jaki, says many new paintings showed up in the process and with that also a list of new private owners. The latest findings are two of Kobilca's paintings, which will be borrowed from Germany for the purpose of the exhibition.
Last time around 40 years ago
Apart from the well-known Kofetarica and Poletje paintings - one of gallery's most popular permanently exhibited works - also on display will be many other works unknown to the public. The National Gallery – while marking its 100th anniversary – decided to organize the extensive exhibition on one of the key figures of Slovene Realism because her Poletje and Kofetarica paintings are still by far the most popular paintings in the gallery, and also because the last exhibition of Kobilca's works was held in 1979. Director Barbara Jaki says many art historians have researched Ivana Kobilca, but adds that there is still room for new insights, as the author is still both extremely interesting and at the same time not very researched.