To this day, setting up a nativity scene remains a beloved Christmas
custom, popular in homes, churches and other public spaces, where nativity
exhibitions are common. The making of the scenes, both of figures and
landscapes, is marked by extraordinary creativity and enthusiasm of various
generations, linking the present with older traditions of our ancestors.
European countries and lands cultivate a diverse nativity culture, with the
most important one emanating from Naples and Tyrol. The latter also influenced
Slovenian nativity design in the late 19th century. Foreign examples
of scenes differ in the typology of the entire design and figures, which
reflect geographical and cultural specifics and the time period of their
placement. Traditionally, Slovenian nativity scenes were presented on the Holy
Eve, 24 December, and retired on Candlemas, 2 February. In the meantime, on the
feast day of the Three Wise Men, the set-up of the nativity changes, since the
Holy Family, angels, shepherds and sheep are joined by the three Magi from the
East, arriving with retinue. This is also the system of the large-scale church
nativity scene in the parish church in Železniki, which this year represent the
Slovenian artistic nativity tradition in the National Gallery of Slovenia.
The nativity scene from Železniki belong to the type of scenery scenes
that appeared and became popular in the 19th century − at a time
when nativity scenes in churches became widespread. Usually, the nativity
figures were sculpted and are associated with carving artistry, while the
scenery nativity sets merge the painting of stage cribs with the backdrop made
of wood that gradually opens towards the viewer and creates the illusion of a
realistic space in the scene of the birth of Christ. Nativity figures, painted
on wooden planks, can stand alone or be part of a larger group placed into a
scene. Only a few of these nativity sets survived, making them an invaluable
part of cultural heritage. The first such nativity was painted by Leopold Layer
for the parish church in Kranj in the early 19th century. It was put
on display for decades and was probably also observed by France Prešeren, the
greatest Slovenian poet. The scene was later donated to the parish of
Predoslje. There, in the interwar period, the nativity was replaced by a new
set by the painter Matija Bradaška the Younger, which is put on display to this
day, while the restored Layer’s nativity scene is kept in the Nativity Museum
in Brezje. In the mid-19th century, the painter Matevž Langus
painted the stage nativity set for the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in
Ljubljana, which was used up to around 1900, when it passed into private hands.
Due to its poor condition, the painter Anton Jebačin made a copy, while the
original is again with the Franciscans. The sources report of other stage
scenes, but they have not been preserved or are not on display anymore. These
types of sets are similar to the stage tombs churches erect during Easter,
which have been preserved in greater numbers in Slovenian churches and testify
to Easter customs and habits.
The nativity scene for Železniki was designed and painted by Štefan
Šubic (1820–1884), a craftsman and artist, for the newly-built parish church of
St Anthony of the Desert. According to tradition, Šubic painted several stage
sets, but the ones in Železniki are the only ones extant, and are, restored and
technically upgraded, regularly on view during Christmas holidays. The scenes
are painted on wooden planks, while the background with the view of the city of
Bethlehem is painted on canvas and placed inside a wooden frame. The nativity
scene consists of two central scenes on separate stages, which change during
the festivities: the first backdrop features the birth of Christ, while the
second the Adoration of the Magi. The nativity used to be placed inside the
chapel of St Andrew, but today it stands in front of the main altar. During
Second World War, the locals took Šubic’s stage nativity scene out of the burnt
parish church and saved it from destruction. Its incredible value is evident to
younger generations, too, which takes care of its maintenance and set-up.
The author of the nativity scene, Štefan Šubic, led an artisan workshops
in Poljane nad Škofjo Loko, which in the 19th century produced
equipment for churches near and far, while his sons Janez and Jurij, the noted
Slovenian realists, reached the pinnacle of Slovenian visual arts. In the
Permanent Collection of the National Gallery you can find The Adoration of the Magi, a painting by Janez Šubic which
continues the tradition of church paintings of his father’s Poljana workshop
and its depiction of Christmas events.
Author
Andrej Doblehar