Lavric AHAS 4angl
Ana LAVRIČ
Janez Anton Dolničar/Thalnitscher's contacts with the copper-plate engraver Matija Greischer
Matija Greischer was born in 1659 at Šmartno near Litija, Slovenia. He was included in Johann Weichard Valvasor's artistic circle as one of his first collaborators, but in as early as 1681 or 1682 the young copper-plate engraver moved to Vienna where he opened his own print-making workshop beim kayserlichen Ballhaus (next to the imperial dancing-hall). He is the first Slovene artist who is documented to have been active in that city.
As can be deduced from written sources, it was during his years as a secondary-school student that Greischer made the acquaintance of Janez Anton Dolničar/Thalnitscher (1662–1714) from a cultural and well-educated Ljubljana family, who was later vicar general of the Ljubljana Diocese and a member of the Academia Operosorum. Dolničar left for imperial Vienna at about the same time as Greischer, or perhaps even together with him, to study theology there, but in 1683 he fled the place endangered by the Ottomans, and completed his theological studies in Rome. After his return to his native town he began to correspond with his old friend Greischer in 1685. The surviving correspondence (several drafts of Dolničar's letters, unknown previously) testifies to their personal, friendly relationship lasting until the end of 1688 when the contacts were suddenly interrupted. We are not sure of the reasons for this, but it can be presumed that it was perhaps due to the artist's new job which he was to begin with Prince Pál Esterházy, or due to his death if it is true that he passed away at Buda in 1689, as Janez Gregor Dolničar/Thalnitscher (1655–1719), Janez Anton's brother, reports in his Bibliotheca Labacensis publica. (An alternative year presumed for Greischer's death is 1712.).
In his Viennese years, Greischer sent several of his prints to J. A. Dolničar, some of them representing the topical theme of encounters with the Turks, and he also made a fine, lyrical copper-engraving for his friend's father, the mayor of Ljubljana Janez Krstnik (Baptist) Dolničar/Thalnitscher. As is evident from the letters (complete correspondence is published in the appendix to the text), Janez Anton highly valued Greischer's art. The latter's biography, which is still very imperfect, is partly revealed through this correspondence.