Peak of Mount Triglav

The Carinthian Slovene painter Marko Pernhart (1824-1871) was active at the time when mountain landscapes emerged as an important independent genre for the first time in the history of art. He was himself an enthusiastic mountaineer and made repeated climbing trips to the Alps with his sketchbook in hand. He depicted the high mountain world and the landscape below it with almost cartographic accuracy, marking individual peaks and places by name. Later, in his studio, he translated these compositions into oil on canvas. The result was close to thirty large format, four-part panoramic paintings, which were generally extremely popular at the time, and represented the peak of Pernhart’s artistic career. He also painted views of Carinthian towns, markets and industrial plants. His paintings are a faithful portrayal of the unspoilt nature and life of his time. Pernhart first reached the summit of Triglav in 1849. The highest peak in the Slovene Alps had been the most admired of all the Slovene mountains ever since the first ascent in 1795. In his depiction of this magnificent mountain and the upper part of its glacier, the painter placed three mountaineers on the saddle between Mali and Veliki Triglav, and if you look closely, others can be seen climbing towards the peak. The rocky summit of Triglav proudly rises above all the other peaks of the Julian Alps. Pernhart’s depiction of the Slovene Alps show early traces of patriotism. As the highest Slovene mountain, Triglav has retained its symbolic significance to this day, also featuring on the national coat-of-arms.