In the 1930s, the Maribor-based painter and graphic artist Ivan Kos was at the height of his creativity. This period saw the creation of some of his best portraits, graphics and the socially-themed cycle Beggars. The Roman Road in the oil technique stems also from this period. The picturesque local landscapes, created in the style of Realism, are one of his signature motifs. Similar to his portraits and socio-critical genre depictions, the realism of Kos’ simple and idyllic landscapes has a certain narrative quality, which speaks of the artist’s love for nature and his surroundings. The bright colours applied in the impasto technique give the scenery traversed by the stone-paved road a warm, homely and calm feel; the road is painted in warm shades as if the stones had been warmed by the sun. The vividness of the image is enhanced by clouds and visible, relaxed brush strokes, which indicate that this image of nature was captured in the exact moment that the wind started blowing. Kos readily devoted his attention to detail: the grasses, leaves and flowers in the foreground are depicted with more precision. Roman Road is representative of Kos’ painting for its faithful and realistic, yet narrative and emotional, rendition of the ordinary world.
(Barbara Lešnik, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual Legends; The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)
