Photo: Maša Pirc
Layer House holds many stories. Among them is the story of the Layer artistic family, who left a significant mark on the art and appearance of Kranj. Today, traces of their work can still be found in the house – including wall paintings from the first quarter of the 19th century, attributed to Leopold Layer and the successors of his painting school.
A special place in this story belongs to Leopold Layer (1752–1828), one of the most important Slovenian late Baroque painters. His most famous work is the image of Mary Help of Christians, which he painted in 1814 for the chapel in Brezje. According to tradition, he made this vow while imprisoned with his family for counterfeiting Austrian banknotes. After his release, he fulfilled his promise and created the image that is today the central object of veneration in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Brezje.
The Layer family created art in Kranj for several generations, and their painting workshop was an active space for art, painting, and icon painting. Their work is also evidenced by the paintings in the historic Layer Room, where ceiling frescoes represent the four arts – music, painting, sculpture, and architecture.
After several decades, a fresco depicting a male figure has also returned to the space; it was once part of the painted decoration of a pillar on the enclosed balcony on the first floor. The 19th-century fresco, which had been stored in the depot of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, was shown by conservator Eva Tršar Andlovic, MA, to artist Rino Bank and Zala Orel. While searching for suitable material for Bank’s artistic installation at Češnjev vrt, an unexpected discovery was made – and the fresco found its place in Layer House once again.
The male figure holding a book is painted in the same artistic language and colors as the female figure in the central part of the painted room. Its return completes the story of the space and reveals yet another layer of art that has accumulated in Layer House over time.
You can view the fresco at the Layer House Gallery, where it is part of the permanent exhibition in the historic Layer Room. When visiting the gallery, you also get a glimpse into a space that preserves the memory of the Layer artistic family and Kranj’s rich painting tradition.
Today, Layer House connects heritage and contemporary art. The historic paintings are complemented by artistic interventions by Scottish-Irish artist Marielle MacLean and Croatian sculptor Rino Bank, who resided at Layer House as part of artist residencies in 2024 and 2025.
Layer House thus remains a space where the past is preserved not merely as memory, but as a living layer that is continually addressed by new artists and new generations.
