Description

Albert Sirk

Albert Sirk (the painter of the sea) Biography (1887-1947)

Dimension: 68×105 cm
Painting technique: Oil on canvas

Albert Sirk was born on May 25 or 26, 1887 in Santa Croce, near Trieste. After high school in Trieste, he studied decorative drawing at the local trade school from 1906 to 1907, then worked as a draughtsman in a lithographic institution. From 1909 to 1912, he performed his military service. After leaving military service, he attended the Venice Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino (Accademia di belle arti di Urbino) until 1913. He then took the exam to become a drawing teacher in popular and lower technical schools and was appointed naval draughtsman in Pula the same year. There he gave drawing lessons to the children of Admiral Miklaus Horthy. After World War I, he was hired as a contract teacher at trieste High School in Italy, where Sirk was dismissed as an “undesirable Slovenian” in 1923.

Already during his teaching activity, he began to work as an illustrator for Slovenian newspapers, among others for Nae glas (which can be translated into French Our Voice), Novi rod or Novice. In 1929, Sirk finally moved to Yugoslavia, where he worked as a teacher in Lenart and Celje, while continuing to provide illustrations for newspapers (including Ilustracija and others). From 1931, he participated in several exhibitions. After being expelled to Serbia during World War II, he taught at the Portoro Teacher Training Institute after the end of the war.

Albert Sirk pictorial work includes seascapes, portraits and still lifes.

He participated in all the artistic trends of his time. In addition to his main works, he also made a number of sketches of watercolour trips, pen drawings, woodcuts and caricatures. During his travels, he visited all regions of Yugoslavia, but also visited other regions.

Albert Sirk died on 13 September 1947 in Celje, then part of the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia.