National Gallery — Attraction in Upravna Enota Ljubljana

I very much enjoyed my visit to the National Gallery.

Like so many of the world's repositories of fine art, the building itself encompasses original architecture and modern extensions, which may not enhance the look of the galleries exterior, but benefit the visitor by what is made available within.

On arrival signage makes clear that bags larger than A4 are not permitted, so I particularly appreciated being able to choose a self service locker, in which I was able to leave my belongings, and return to them as and when it suited me, rather than feeling like I was needing to pester a member of staff every time my memory failed me.

Photography is also permitted, without the use of flash, which it is hard to see (no pun intended) would be of any benefit, so appropriately lit is each exhibition space.

Initially religious art is predominant, as so much art was in Europe of that period.

Some of the portraiture is particular fine. For me, the stand out works were from Marko Pernhart, Anton Ažbe, Matija Jama and Anton Karinger, but that sort of thing is all in the eye of the beholder.

The café prices were about what you can expect in 2019, I recall paying €7.50 for a straightforward coffee with milk and a toasted cheese and roast vegetable sandwich, the standard of food and drink was good. Also, the toileting facilities were clean and fitting for an establishment of this profile.

The book/gift shop was a little disappointing, but then I find most of the ones I have visited in modern galleries over the last few years have been steeply priced, and frankly, they often sell a range of products that poorly represent the establishment that they are most closely associated with. Don't get me wrong, I know that the last thing that many of us want is the denigration of objects of beauty into Warholized tat, but maybe there is an idea waiting for someone out there to introduce to enhance these well situated commercial spaces!

Their official website provides a comprehensive view of what their collection comprises. Very much worth the €10 admittance to see the works in their natural form, and in such a...

The National Gallery in Ljubljana is about a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, situated near Tivoli Park. Housed in a historic building with a modern interior, it offers a pleasant and accessible environment for visitors.

The permanent exhibition showcases Slovenian art from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, providing a clear and well-organized journey through the country’s artistic evolution. Information is available in both Slovenian and English, making it easy to navigate and understand.

During our visit, we explored two temporary exhibitions:

Baroque in Slovenia: Featuring over 170 artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries, this exhibition offers insight into the Baroque period’s influence on Slovenian art, highlighting the blend of Central European and Mediterranean artistic expressions. While the Baroque style isn‘t our favorite, the exhibition was well set-up.

From Shadow into Light: The Sketchbooks of Ivana Kobilca: This exhibition delves into the sketchbooks of Ivana Kobilca, Slovenia’s most prominent female painter, providing a unique glimpse into her creative process and the development of her artworks. We really liked her work, and spent most of our time in this temporary exhibition.

Tickets were purchased on-site without any issues. The gallery also includes a small shop and a café, perfect for a short break. We spent approximately 1.5 hours exploring the exhibitions, which felt sufficient to appreciate the collections without feeling rushed.

Overall, the National Gallery is a recommended stop for those interested in art and its historical development...

Time well spent in the Gallery and liked the arts and expositions in relation to the city of Ljubljana. All area are well sectioned on the map marking it easier for visitors to find their way around.

I am giving 3 stars because: 1 when collected tickets from reception we were told to go and put our bags in the locker which we didn’t know how to do since there was several and no number for reference if it need to be given to someone or key for each locker. We put our stuff in the big locker which you can see below and have to take the key with us. That was not convenient as we wonder what happened if other customers needed space to put stuff too? No guidance or security in the bag area. 2 is that we didn’t enter any temporary exhibition or entered any special section where we weren’t allowed to enter without a special ticket as the ticket we have got covered what is listed but staff felt the needs to ask us about our ticket again without explanation. They weren’t able to explain why but my answer is that they are lacking a system to know who is entering the gallery and where they can go freely without having to post staff at each door...