SLO:
Ko prideš v Sorico, se ti odpre pogled na lepo dolino in seveda kmalu prideš tudi do kipa našega znanega slikarja, Ivana Groharja (15.6.1867 - 19.4.1911).
Že kot otrok je kazal zanimanje za slikanje, vendar se njegov talent ni mogel razvijati, saj je bil sirota in je živel v pomanjkanju v hribovski vasi. Leta 1888 ga je domači župnik Anton Jamnik peljal na ogled razstave v Škofjo Loko in mu omogočil, da je poleti delal pri cerkvenem slikarju Matiji Bradašku v Kranju. Odpravil se je tudi v Zagreb, kjer je v ateljeju Spiridiona Milanesija ustvarjal do vpoklica v avstro-ogrsko vojsko. Vojaško življenje je težko prenašal, zato je dezertiral in se odpravil proti Benetkam. Ker je tam ostal brez vsega, se je šel prijavit na avstrijski konzulat v Trst. Leta 1889 je bil na sodišču obsojen na krajšo zaporno kazen in podaljšanje vojaškega roka za eno leto.
Leta 1892 je pri kranjskem deželnem odboru v Ljubljani vložil prošnjo za finančno podporo za študij na Deželni risarski šoli v Gradcu. Podporo so mu odobrili. Dve leti kasneje je vložil prošnjo za podporo pri študiju na Akademiji upodabljajočih umetnosti (Akademie der bildenen Künste) na Dunaju. Podpora je bila odobrena, vendar kljub odlično opravljenim izpitom ni bil sprejet, ker še ni končal šole v Gradcu. Zato je nadaljeval šolanje v Gradcu in ga zaključil konec leta 1894. Avgusta 1896 je odprl svoj atelje v Škofji Loki. Delal je tudi v Münchnu, kjer je obiskoval slikarsko šolo Antona Ažbeta. Doma je spoznal Riharda Jakopiča. Jeseni 1900 je sodeloval na I. slovenski umetniški razstavi, ki jo je pripravilo Slovensko umetniško društvo (SUD). Bil je izvoljen za blagajnika SUD in si od društva nezakonito sposodil denar. Obsojen je bil na 3 mesece zapora. Po končani zaporni kazni je 1903 odpotoval na Dunaj.
Leta 1904 so impresionisti (Rihard Jakopič, Matej Sternen, Matija Jama in Ivan Grohar) razstavljali v Mietkejevi galeriji na Dunaju kot Umetniški klub Sava. Poželi so velik uspeh in prodali nekaj slik. Kasneje je Grohar razstavljal v dunajski Secesiji, v Beogradu, Londonu, Krakovu, Varšavi, Trstu, Devinu, Berlinu … Kljub temu je bil še vedno finančno nepreskrbljen. Deželni odbor mu je po posredovanju Janeza Evangelista Kreka in Riharda Jakopiča leta 1911 odobril 2000 kron podpore za umetniško potovanje v Italijo. Iz Sorice je prišel v Ljubljano, da bi si nakupil vse potrebno za pot, vendar je bil tako oslabljen od bolezni, ki jo je skrival, da so ga odpeljali v Deželno bolnišnico v Ljubljano, kjer je 19. aprila 1911 umrl zaradi jetike. Za sabo je pustil neprecenljive umetnine in nekaj dolgov, ki jih je poravnal Rihard Jakopič. Ta je v svojem umetniškem paviljonu pripravil VI. umetniško razstavo v spomin na Ivana Groharja.
Grohar je pričel kot cerkveni slikar, nadaljeval kot realist. Nanj je vplival Giovanni Segantini. Po letu 1900 je slikal s simbolističnimi prvinami, vendar ga je kasneje dokončno prevzel impresionizem.
Leta 1926 so mu pripravili spominsko razstavo. Imel je velik vpliv na kasnejše umetnike, njegovega Sejalca sta simbolično prevzeli Semenarna Ljubljana in Turistično društvo Sorica ter slovenski kovanec, ki ga je oblikoval Miljenko Licul. Njemu v čast v Škofji Loki vsako leto pripravijo Malo Groharjevo slikarsko kolonijo. Groharjev celopostavni spomenik stojo pred domačo vasjo, kot eden štirih impresionistov ima doprsni spomenik v parku v ljubljanskem Trnovem.
Groharjev Sejalec je upodobljen na slovenskem evrskem kovancu za 5 centov (2007).
Vir: Wikipedija
ENG:
Grohar was born in the Upper Carniolan village of Spodnja Sorica, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From an early age, he showed an interest in art but he could not develop his talent because he was an orphan and lived in poverty. In 1888, the local vicar Anton Jamnik sent him to an exhibition in the nearby town of Škofja Loka, enabling him to spend the summer working in the town of Kranj under the supervision of the church painter Matija Bradaška. He also travelled to Zagreb, where he worked in the atelier of Spiridion Milanesi, until he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army. He disliked the military life, so he deserted and fled to Venice, in Italy. Left with nothing, he appealed to the Austro-Hungarian consulate. In 1889 a court sentenced him to a short stay in prison and extended his military service by one year.
In 1892, he applied to the Carniolan Provincial Diet for financial assistance to study at the Graz school of painting, which he received. Two years later, he applied for assistance to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. This assistance was also approved, but despite his excellent exam result, he was not accepted to the Academy because he had not finished his studies in Graz. He continued his schooling in Graz and finished it at the end of 1894. In August 1896, he opened his own atelier in Škofja Loka. He also worked in Munich, where he attended Anton Ažbe’s school of art. Back home, he befriended the impressionist painter Rihard Jakopič. In autumn of 1900, he took part in the first Slovene Artists’ Exhibition, organised by the Slovene Artistic Association (Slovensko umetniško društvo, SUD). He was elected to the position of treasurer of the SUD, but illegally borrowed money from the association, for which he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. On his release, he left for Vienna.
In 1904, Slovene impressionists Rihard Jakopič, Matej Sternen, Matija Jama and Ivan Grohar himself, exhibited in the Mietke gallery in Vienna as the artists’ club Sava. They enjoyed great success and sold several paintings. Later, Grohar exhibited in the Secession in Vienna, in Belgrade, London, Krakow, Warsaw, Trieste, Duino, Berlin, and elsewhere. Despite this, he always had financial difficulties. In 1911, after interventions of the politician Janez Evangelist Krek and the painter Rihard Jakopič, the Sorica municipal council granted him 2000 crowns for a study trip to Italy. He then went to Ljubljana in order to buy everything that he would need for the trip, but he was so afflicted by illness, which he had been keeping secret, that he was delivered to the state hospital in Ljubljana, where he died of tuberculosis. He left behind a series of priceless artworks and a number of debts, which Rihard Jakopič settled for him. Jakopič was preparing his sixth artists’ exhibition in his artists’ pavilion, which was dedicated to the memory of Ivan Grohar.
Grohar began his career as a painter of religious images, but continued it as a realist. He was influenced by Giovanni Segantini. From summer 1900 onwards, he painted using symbolic elements, but later he embraced impressionism.
In 1926, a memorial exhibition was held in his honour. He had a great influence on later artists and his picture The Sower (Slovene: Sejalec) has become one of the most established and characteristic Slovene images, a symbol of the cultural transition of the Slovenes from a rural to an urban culture. This work is reproduced on the Slovenian 5-cent euro coin (2007).
Source: Wikipedia