Milan Rijavec: A Remarkable Slovenian Artist

Milan Rijavec (1922–2018) is a Slovenian artist who is well-known for his distinctive color painting.

In his early career, Rijavec worked on watercolor techniques. He developed his own watercolor style. Common watercolor paintings are “without much tonal contrast, painted in a single brush, with consistently translucent lighter registers, and abounding in soft transitions.”

Rijavec rejects these common perceptions about watercolor. He did not paint in a single burst but rather with a distinctly studious approach, as can be seen in his use of gouache. In some cases, he added it to a painting that had already been signed.

One of his works is House (1951–1961). This painting depicts a house with red roofs in a suburban area. The colors are powerful and vivid, but the house still presents itself as a charming old house surrounded by big trees. The artist was inspired by the Slovenian village environment.

In his later works, Rijavec employs lighter colors. In Still Life with Flowers (1989), he portrays a white long vase with various soft colors flowers in it. His painting is close to abstraction composition, but remain representative. In this painting, color has important role to build space and soothing atmosphere.

Rijavec’s unique color painting technique also appears on Wayside Shrine with a Crucifix (1989). This painting presents Jesus on the crucifix, with an interesting, colorful abstract background. The crucifixion is depicted differently in Rijavec’s work, more lively and not dragged down by its sadness.

Rijavec’s color painting is a legacy of his favorite painters, such as Matisse, Fauvism, and late Cubism. However, Rijavec has developed his own sensibility for conveying mood and meaning by combining simple, flat color surfaces.

His favorite subjects are landscapes, architecture, portraits, and still-lifes. He is also interested in the Slovenian village, the Knapovo environment and, in later years, seaside architecture.

Rijavec is also well-known for his vibrant colors, simple form, and emotional intensity. The artist often combines realistic and abstract elements, creating a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere.

In his late career period, Rijavec increasingly focused on paintings with color explorations. The colors are chosen based on location and the artist’s mood. It goes from a transparent layer to a thick layer of muted and dead colors.

There is not much information in English about Milan Rijavec, but I can be sure he is a genius and a very talented artist.

Milan Rijavec’s works, as well as other 20th and 21st century art collections from Slovenia, are currently on display at the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana (MGML).

MILAN RIJAVEC (1922–2018), From the 20th and 21st Century Art Collection are on view through March 19, 2023 at MGML, Ljublana, Slovenia.