France Mihelič (27 April 1907 – 1 August 1998) was a Slovene painter, one of the key figures in Slovene painting in the second half of the 20th century, known for his surrealist figurative paintings and prints.[1]

France Mihelič
France Mihelič in 1965
Born(1907-04-27)27 April 1907
Virmaše, Slovenia
Died1 August 1998(1998-08-01) (aged 91)
Ljubljana, Slovenia
NationalitySlovenian
EducationAcademy of Fine Arts, Zagreb
Known forPainting and illustrating
Notable workPainting and illustration
AwardsPrešeren Award
1949 for the paintings Kolona v snegu and Vaška ječa
Levstik Award
1949 for Solzice
Levstik Award
1951 for Najdihojca
Levstik Award
1952 for Pestrna
Prešeren Award
1955 for his graphic opus
Levstik Award
1956 for Štirje letni časi
Prešeren Award
1965 for the set and puppets for Sinja Ptica
Jakopič Award
1978 for his lifetime achievement

Mihelič was born in Virmaše near Škofja Loka in 1907. He studied art at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts between 1927 and 1931. He received the Prešeren Award three times, in 1949 for his paintings Kolona v snegu and Vaška ječa, in 1955 for his graphic opus and in 1965 for the set and puppets for a puppet performance of Sinja ptica (Bluebird) staged in 1964 at the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre.[2]

He won the Levstik Award for his book illustrations four times: in 1949 for his illustrations of Prežihov Voranc's book Solzice (Lillies of the Valley), in 1951 for Fran Levstik's Najdihojca, in 1952 for France Bevk's Pestrna (Child Minder) and in 1956 for Mira Mihelič's Štirje letni časi (The Four Seasons).[3]

In 1978 he also won the Jakopič Award for his life achievement in painting.

He was married to the writer and translator Mira Mihelič.

References

edit
  1. ^ Towards Zero Gravity, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana
  2. ^ Slovenian Ministry of Culture, complete list of the Grand Prešeren Awards recipients 1947–2012 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Slovene)
  3. ^ "The Levstik Award on the Mladinska Knjiga Publishing House site". Mladinska.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2014.