Renaissance and Baroque painting
From the mid 15th century there developed a softer style which demonstrated the idealised Renaissance aesthetic from the north and Italy, often featuring landscapes from Križna gora above Škofja Loka or St Primož above Kamnik.
The frescoes at Šentvid near Vipava (1480s) were influenced by the early Venetian Renaissance, while the impact of Pellegrino da San Daniele’s style is evident in the frescoes at Dolenja Vas church, near Sežana (c 1510).
Prior to the Renaissance period most paintings were conceived as decorative and/or devotional features within a wider building, but the rise of easel painting and the first use of oil on canvas during the 15th century brought a sea change in the manner in which artists worked, stimulating the beginnings of genre and the elaboration of portraiture. The Slovene territories were no exception, and portraits of individual donors became common during this period.
The development of painting was interrupted in the second half of the 16th century by the Protestant Reformation; thereafter wall paintings were mainly decorative and easel paintings were mostly based on etchings.
During the early 17th century there took place something of an artistic revival. Ljubljana in particular saw a significant resuscitation of artistic activity, thanks largely to Catholic Bishop Tomaž Hren, who brought in Carinthian painters influenced by northern styles to decorate his churches. First to be brought back to life was carving, followed subsequently by painting; within a few decades both had assumed a Baroque form. At this time Slovene art was engaged in a constant balancing act between northern and Italian influences. During the 17th century the gentry often engaged painters from Germany and Holland to create their portraits, but by the beginning of the 18th century Ljubljana was under the firm influence of Italian art. Workshops in the Baroque were held in Carinthia, and many Baroque artists came to Slovenia, including Italian Baroque artist Giulio Quaglio II (1688–1751), who decorated Ljubljana Cathedral (1701-1706) and trained Franc Jelovšek.
During the 18th century central Slovene easel painting was dominated by French artist Valentin Janez Metzinger (1699-1759) and Slovene artist Fortunat Bergant (1630-1693), and in the second half of the 18th century by Austrian artist Martin Johann Schmidt (1718-1801). In northern Slovenia the works of Austrian artist Hans Adam Weissenkircher (1646-1695) were imported, while German artist Franz Ignaz Flurer (1688-1742) and Slovene artist Anton Lerchinger (1720-c1792) produced wall and easel paintings locally.
