Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia
Matej Sternen (1870–1949) is better known as an impressionist painter rather than for his restoration work, even though in his impressive career he discovered and restored a considerable number of works, especially frescos in Slovenia and Dalmatia (Croatia). His strong interest in restoration can b...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
2017-07-01
|
| Series: | Ars & Humanitas |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/7479 |
| _version_ | 1797950084107730944 |
|---|---|
| author | Nina Unković |
| author_facet | Nina Unković |
| author_sort | Nina Unković |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Matej Sternen (1870–1949) is better known as an impressionist painter rather than for his restoration work, even though in his impressive career he discovered and restored a considerable number of works, especially frescos in Slovenia and Dalmatia (Croatia). His strong interest in restoration can be seen in the numerous notes he wrote about painting technologies, restoration and conservation techniques. This enriched his entire opus, as it stimulated him to try numerous painting techniques and genres, such as frescoes. Sternen was a painter who constructed his paintings very carefully, and a master in the preparation of the painting’s surface, or “the ground,” and always considered the laws of colours and their relationships and proportions to the white painted surface.
In his restoration practice, working together with his close colleagues the art historians France Stele (1886–1972) and Ljubo Karaman (1886–1971), Matej Sternen actualized the principle “conserve instead of restore” that was the rule in his day. This paper is based on fieldwork data and archive sources, kept in Ljubljana, Celje, Split and Zagreb, and focuses on two important monuments — the painted ceiling in the Old Manor House in Celje (Slovenia), and a wall painting in the church of St Michael in Ston (Croatia). These two cases, which are different from both technical and methodological approaches to monument protection, clearly show Sternen’s professional expertise and practical realization of “conserve instead of restore,” which speaks in favour of preserving the original work as opposed to aggressive restoration interventions.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:09:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-20373fe2851047c4ae00178c965f09ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1854-9632 2350-4218 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:09:36Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ars & Humanitas |
| spelling | doaj.art-20373fe2851047c4ae00178c965f09ca2023-01-18T08:53:35ZdeuUniversity of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Ars & Humanitas1854-96322350-42182017-07-0111110.4312/ars.11.1.204-223Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and CroatiaNina Unković0Univerzitet u Splitu, Filozofski fakultet Matej Sternen (1870–1949) is better known as an impressionist painter rather than for his restoration work, even though in his impressive career he discovered and restored a considerable number of works, especially frescos in Slovenia and Dalmatia (Croatia). His strong interest in restoration can be seen in the numerous notes he wrote about painting technologies, restoration and conservation techniques. This enriched his entire opus, as it stimulated him to try numerous painting techniques and genres, such as frescoes. Sternen was a painter who constructed his paintings very carefully, and a master in the preparation of the painting’s surface, or “the ground,” and always considered the laws of colours and their relationships and proportions to the white painted surface. In his restoration practice, working together with his close colleagues the art historians France Stele (1886–1972) and Ljubo Karaman (1886–1971), Matej Sternen actualized the principle “conserve instead of restore” that was the rule in his day. This paper is based on fieldwork data and archive sources, kept in Ljubljana, Celje, Split and Zagreb, and focuses on two important monuments — the painted ceiling in the Old Manor House in Celje (Slovenia), and a wall painting in the church of St Michael in Ston (Croatia). These two cases, which are different from both technical and methodological approaches to monument protection, clearly show Sternen’s professional expertise and practical realization of “conserve instead of restore,” which speaks in favour of preserving the original work as opposed to aggressive restoration interventions. https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/7479Matej Sternenrestoration of wall paintingsCelje ceilingChurch St Michael in StonFrance SteleLjubo Karaman |
| spellingShingle | Nina Unković Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia Ars & Humanitas Matej Sternen restoration of wall paintings Celje ceiling Church St Michael in Ston France Stele Ljubo Karaman |
| title | Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia |
| title_full | Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia |
| title_fullStr | Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia |
| title_short | Matej Sternen as a Restorer: Selected examples in Slovenia and Croatia |
| title_sort | matej sternen as a restorer selected examples in slovenia and croatia |
| topic | Matej Sternen restoration of wall paintings Celje ceiling Church St Michael in Ston France Stele Ljubo Karaman |
| url | https://journals.uni-lj.si/arshumanitas/article/view/7479 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ninaunkovic matejsternenasarestorerselectedexamplesinsloveniaandcroatia |