From our collections: Miha Maleš: Portraits

Slovenian Theatre Institute – Theatre Museum holds a collection of portrait sketches and graphics by Miha Maleš (1903–1987). Miha Maleš was trained in painting, sculpturing and, above all, in graphic art by Prof. Saša Šantel in Ljubljana, at the Academy of Arts in Zagreb, in Vienna and in Prague. After graduation, he lived in Ljubljana where he had an atelier for decorative and liturgical art. Miha Maleš has foremostly established himself as a graphic author. His first major graphic work were portraits of the distinguished Slovenians from the 15th century on: these were published as illustrations accompanying The Slovenian Men by Avgust Pirjevec in 1924 and 1925, or he published them as postcards and single leaflets.

In the season of 1936/37, as well as in years before and after, he created a series of sketches and graphics, where he depicted Slovenian theatre makers: actors and opera singers were usually represented in their roles.