(Poljane nad Škofjo Loko, 15.4.1855- Leipzig, 8.9.1890)
Jurij Šubic is considered one of the first Slovenian artists who painted in nature. He was born into a family of painters who worked in the vicinity of Škofja Loka. He received his first art education in his home workshop, where his father Štefan taught him painting skills. Jurij already showed considerable talent at a young age, so he was enrolled in a rendering course with Janez Wolf. In 1873 he enrolled at the Vienna Academy. During his education, he created a series of images for Stritar's poem Raja. After graduating from the academy, Jurij went to Athens in 1879. There he painted the house of the famous German archaeologist H. Schliemann, who studied the ancient heritage in Troy. Good recommendations also provided him with the painting of the house of the architect E. Ziller, after which he went to Paris. The young artist lived there for almost ten years.
Creating in France was a turning point for Šubic, as he got acquainted with the latest trends in painting, which he also applied to his genre images. He painted together with other Czech and Hungarian artists. He also went to Normandy several times, where he observed the French landscape. There he also created a sketch that served as a template for the famous painting Before the Hunt. With it, Šubic presented himself at the Paris Salon in 1883, becoming the first artist to exhibit his work at such a prestigious French exhibition. During his stay in France, he became interested in the light and shadow created by objects in the surroundings. He occasionally painted in nature, making him the first plein air artist among Slovenian artists. Upon returning home, he produced quite a few illustrations with national motifs. These were published in Stritarjev zvon and other sub-sheets. During this time, he created the allegorical painting of the ceiling in the National Museum and the medallions in the Šentjakob Church. His family background and skill in painting ensured him quite a demand for sacred images.
At the end of the 19th century, when the middle class was getting stronger, he executed large portraits for prominent citizens. In them, he tried to get as close to nature as possible, even if a slight idealisation is noticeable in some of them. Šubic is considered an exceptional colourist. He painted most of his works in the oil on canvas technique, but he also made some watercolours and gouaches. He left behind a rich legacy with an extensive collection of sketches created during his studies and travels. Together with his brother, they added a new dimension to Slovenian painting. In addition to the figure, the Slovenian landscape came to the forefront of interest, and with both motifs, they took a naturalistic approach in painting.
Jurij Šubic velja za enega prvih slovenskih umetnikov, ki so slikali v naravi. Rodil se je v družini podobarjev, ki je delovala v okolici Škofje Loke. Prvo umetnostno izobrazbo je prejel v domači delavnici, kjer mu je oče Štefan predal slikarsko znanje. Jurij je že v mladih letih pokazal precejšen talent, zato so ga vpisali na tečaj upodabljanja k Janezu Wolfu. Leta 1873 se je vpisal na dunajsko akademijo. V času izobraževanja je izdelal serijo podob za Stritarjevo pesnitev Raja. Po končani akademiji, se je Jurij leta 1879 odpravil v Atene. Tam je poslikal hišo znamenitega nemškega arheologa H. Schliemanna, ki preučeval antično dediščino v Troji. Dobra priporočila so mu zagotovila tudi poslikavo hiše arhitekta E. Zillerja, nato pa se je odpravil v Pariz. V njem je mladi umetnik bival skoraj deset let.
Ustvarjanje v Franciji je bilo za Šubica prelomno, saj se je seznanil z najnovejšimi trendi v slikarstvu, ki jih je apliciral tudi na svoje žanrske podobe. Slikal je skupaj še z drugimi češkimi in madžarskimi umetniki. Večkrat se je odpravil tudi v Normandijo, kjer opazoval francosko pokrajino. Tam je izdelal tudi skico ki mu je služila kot predloga za znamenito sliko Pred Lovom. Z njo se je Šubic leta 1883 predstavil na pariškem Salonu in s tem postal prvi umetnik, ki je razstavil delo na tako ugledni francoski razstavi. Med bivanjem v Franciji ga je zanimala svetloba in senca, ki jo ustvarjajo predmeti v okolici. Občasno je slikal v naravi, s čimer je postal prvi plenerist med slovenskimi umetniki. Ob vrnitvi domov je izdelal kar nekaj ilustracij z narodno motiviko. Te so objavili v Stritarjevem zvonu in drugih podlistkih. V tem času je izdelal alegorično poslikavo stropa v Narodnem muzeju in medaljone v Šentjakobski cerkvi. Družinsko poreklo in spretnost pri slikanju sta mu zagotovili kar dosti povpraševanja po sakralnih podobah.
Konec 19. stoletja, ko se je vse bolj krepilo meščanstvo je za ugledne meščane izvršil velike portrete. V njih se je čim bolje skušal približati naravi pa čeprav se v nekaterih opazi rahla idealizacija. Šubic velja za izjemnega kolorista. Največ umetnin je naslikal v tehniki olja na platno, izdelal pa je tudi nekaj akvarelov in gvašev. Za seboj je pustil bogato zapuščino z obsežno zbirko skic, ki so nastale med študijem in na potovanjih. Skupaj z bratom sta slovenskemu slikarstvu dodala novo razsežnost. V ospredje zanimanja je poleg figure stopila slovenska pokrajina, pri obeh motivih pa sta ubrala naturalistični pristop v slikanju.
The text was prepared for the Porta Alpina gallery by Pia Župevec, B.Sc. art history/Besedilo je za galerijo Porta Alpina pripravila Pia Župevec, dipl. um. zgod.
SOURCES/VIRI::
Luc MENAŠE, s. v. Šubic, Jurij, Evropski umetnostno zgodovinski leksikon, Ljubljana 1971,
col. 2116.
Marjan MUŠIČ, s. v. Jurij, Šubic, Enciklopedija Likovnih Umjetnosti, 4, Zagreb 1966, p. 382.
Andrej UJČIČ, s. v. Šubic, Jurij (1855-1890), Slovenski biografski leksikon, 11 zv. Stele - Švikaršič, Ljubljana 1971, https://www.slovenska-biografija.si/oseba/sbi674165/ (3.6.2024).
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