Julie Martini
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January 9, 1871
Julie Martini | |
|---|---|
| Born | Julijana Jožefa Helena Martini January 9, 1871 Celje (then Austria-Hungary) |
| Died | 25 April April 25, 1943 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | photographer |
Julijana Jožefa Helena Martini, also known as Julie Martini, (9 January 1871 – 25 April 1943) was a Slovenian photographer. She worked as a photographer for more than fifty-five years.[1][2][3] In the late 19th and start of the 20th century, her studio dominated the photographic scene in Celje.[3]
She was born on 9 January 1871 into a Slovenian family in Celje.[4] Her mother was the milliner Helena Zabukovšek from Celje, and her father was the first photographer in Celje, Josef Martini (1838–1895), from Rogatec, who was also engaged in painting.[5][1][6][3] She had a younger sister and a younger brother.[5] The family lived with her maternal grandmother and three aunts.[5] Two days after her birth she was baptised in the Parish of St. Daniel in Celje by the then Celje vicar Franc Ogradi.[4] Her father began teaching her photography at an early age.[5][1][2]
Career
Already as a teenager she began working as a photographer in her father's studio. In 1888 she was photographed by the art collector Josip Nikolaj Sadnikar, while photographing a group at the Kurhaus spa in Kamnik.[2]
In 1895, after her father's death, she took over his photographic studio.[1][5] At first she retained her father's name in the studio title, but soon renamed it Atelier Julie Martini, which appeared in silver lettering on all her photographs.[1][7] Although she also photographed outdoors, most of her work was produced in her studio, which was furnished with props and backdrops.[1][5][2] Her specialty were portraits of children and young women, notable for their sensitivity; her subjects appear lively and responsive to the camera.[1] Her preferred photographic technique was a soft-light effect in which the face stands out while the body and clothing fade into a misty background.[1] She constructed her portraits around the face as a reflection of the subject's character.[1]
After 1908 her younger brother joined her in the business.[1][3] That same year they purchased a house in Celje where they established a new studio.[1] They operated under the names Julie u. Josef Martini and later J.&J. Martini.[1] As photographic trends changed, she had to abandon her preferred white background in favour of darker backdrops, though her influence remained visible in individual portraits.[1] During her career she photographed many prominent citizens of Celje, including Alma Karlin.[1] She also published postcards featuring photographs of Celje.[8] Some of her works are preserved in the National and University Library of Slovenia, the Regional Museum of Celje, and the Museum of Recent History Celje.[1][8]
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