The exhibition re-evaluates the works of three “centenarian” artists from the Gallery’s collection, seeking out genres, thematic links and also parallels from among the archive materials. 2022 marks the centenary of the births of Ján ŠIMO-SVRČEK (*1922 – †2006), Emil PAULOVIČ (*1922 – †2004) and Michal PETREK (*1922 – †1972). The exhibition is part of the HONOUREES cycle of exhibitions.

The collection of the Gallery of Spiš Artists includes 226 works by the artist Ján Šimo-Svrček, primarily in the form of drawings. The artist focused on large-format paintings and landscapes in oil and dry pastels, but his drawings were made in felt-tip pen, pencil, oils and dry pastels and brushwork. The drawings capture period scenes of East Slovak landscapes and the castles and city walls of Slovakia. Šimo-Svrček memorialised many long-vanished areas of Spišská Nová Ves in a series of succinct linotypes and drawings: he created more than forty of these felt-tip architectural compositions of the now-demolished outskirts of the town. The Gallery’s archives boast a generous gift from the artist – 1089 of his drawings of architectural scenes from Slovakia and abroad. This exhibition presents a selection of these archive materials for the first time, focusing on Spiš landscapes, figurative works and other genre motifs. 

Emil Pavlovič worked mainly on landscapes, still lifes with flowers, and portraits. His native region was a constant inspiration to him, as was the beauty of Slovakia as a whole. The Gallery’s collection includes thirteen paintings and two drawings by the artist, the majority of which capture the Slovak landscape, important landmarks and architectural hidden corners, but the collection is complemented by portraits of the artist Štefan Cpin and some un-named rafters.

The third honouree is Michal Petrek who was born in Spišské Vlachy. From the beginning of his artistic career, Petrek’s painting style was influenced by the works of Ján Mudroch and by the legacy of Ľudovít Fulla in particular, as can be seen in the use of abstract and decorative arrangements of the painting. By gradually abstracting and geometrizing the forms, the subject disappears from the canvas. Only three of Petrek’s paintings feature in the Gallery’s collection. A large-format genre painting in oils titled Hanging Out the Laundry from 1956 is an example of the application of postimpressionistic tendencies, while two portraits display the artist’s characteristic laidback style.  

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Curators:  Mgr. Kamila Paceková, Mgr. Mária Šabľová – GUS

Graphic design: Mgr. art. Ivana Babejová, ArtD. – GUS