Pleterje Collection of European Painters

The paintings from the collection of European Painters from the 17th to the 19th century is property of the nearby Pleterje Charterhouse. The collection has been exhibited at Galerija Božidar Jakac since 1977 on the initiative of Prior Janez Drolc who wanted to make the artworks accessible to the general public. Most of the paintings were brought to Slovenia after 1902 by the monks of the St. Anna Charterhouse in Bosserville near Nancy, Lorraine, who with the assistance of Emperor Franz Joseph revived the former Charterhouse in Pleterje. The charterhouse of Bosserville was founded in 1634 by Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. It was abolished and offered to public use during Napoleon’s era. It was re-inhabited only in 1835 when the monks attempted to collect the scattered furnishings of the monastery, while receiving donations from sister houses. Among those were works of art as well, such as eight large oval paintings in the monastery dining hall with representations of the Fathers of the Order, originating from the Charterhouse of Turin. The monastery archives have left almost no information on the provenance of artworks and the identity of their creators. It is quite possible that the collection includes also pieces from the Slovenian territory. Experts attribute them to Flemish, French, Italian and German painters. There are 45 paintings on display, predominantly with religious subjects, two cavalry battles and two decorative landscapes. Entire collection was conserved and restored in the studio of Viktor Povše before its public presentation in 1977. The redesigned display is on view since 2016.