Ambroz Testen

Ambroz Janez Tasten
Born31 August 1897
Loka pri Mengšu, Kamnik, Slovenia
Died7 January 1984
Zadar, Croatia
NationalitySlovene
Notable workDvije duše razgovaraju (Two souls talking)
Križni put (Stations of the Cross)
Stylewatercolor painting
Movementexpressionism[1][2]

Ambroz Janez (Janko) Testen (31 August 1897 – 7 January 1984) was Franciscan and Croatian expressionistic painter of Slovenian descent.[3]

Biohraphy

He was born in village Loka pri Mengšu near Kamnik in northern Slovenia. He moved to Croatia as a teenager to become a Franciscan. His monk name was Benedict.[4]

Before World War I he lived in a monastery on Košljun, a tiny island near Krk. He fought on Italian Front in Tirol and Duchy of Styria.[4] After World War I, in 1920, he deserted and escape to Dubrovnik where he took the name Ambroz.[1]

He lived two years in Cavtat monastery, where he learned painting from Vlaho Bukovac,[2] famous Croatian painter who had his workroom there.[1][4]

He also learned watercolor painting from Maksimilijan Vanka.[2] In 1929 he moved to Pelješac, where he got to know Celestin Medović.[4]

From 1939 to 1961 he lived in a monastery on island Krapanj then in St. Bernardine monastery in Kampor on island Rab where he painted a lot of his famous works. Since 1989. there is a permanent exhibition of his works there. After World War II, he shortly lived in Šibenik.

He died in Zadar on 7 January 1984.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Croatian Encyclopedia online, Testen, Ambroz Janez, accessdate 14 July 2016 (in Croatian)
  2. ^ a b c d "Galerija Testen" [Galery of Ambroz Testen]. akademija-art.hr (in Croatian). Archived 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Izložba slika fra Janka Ambroza Testena" [Exhibition of paintings by Janko Ambroz Testen]. slovenci.hr. Council of Slovenes of Croatia. 18 March 2013. Archived 2016-10-12 at the Wayback Machine (in Croatian and Slovene)
  4. ^ a b c d Lončarević, Vladimir (21 July 2016). "Udivljenje vjerom Ambroza Testena". Glas Koncila (in Croatian). No. 2187. p. 21.