The three-language book Anton Perko – Seafarer, Courtier, Painter / der malende Seefahrer und kaiserliche Hofmann / mornar, dvoranin, slikar was published in 2020 as an edition of ZKŠT of the Institute for Culture, Sport and Tourism from Žalec, Slovenia (ISBN 978-96193596-6-2) and it was promoted in the February of the same year in Žalec. The next promotion was held in the Museum of Military History in Vienna (HGM) on 19 July 2022. This book was presented by its authors, Emeritus Professor Peter Zimmerman, PhD and Associate Professor Sanja Žaja Vrbica, PhD.

Anton Perko (Vransko, Slovenia, 1833 – Dubrovnik, 1905), was an orientalist, naval lieutenant, court painter of seascapes, part of the entourage of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, and a secretary of the Crown Princess Widow Stephanie. He started painting at around twenty years old, learning the basics in the ateliers of two seascapers – the Austrian Joseph Selleny and the Frenchman Henri Durand-Barger. As of 1866, he was regularly exhibiting his works in the exhibitions of the Kunstverein of Vienna. In 1866, he witnessed the fight between the Austrian and Italian navy in the famous battle near the island of Vis which happened on 20 July 1866. As the official Austrian painter, his illustrations were published in the two editions of the book Lissa-Album. During his entire life, he was travelling across the Mediterranean, Middle East, Northern Europe, firstly as a naval officer, and then accompanying his royal patrons. After his retirement he moved to Dubrovnik, where he died and was buried with honours.

One can find the works from Perko in private and public collections in Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, in the holdings of the Albertina Museum and in the Austrian National Library in Vienna from the Habsburg family collection and in the Museum of Military History in Vienna. Besides private collections, the Dubrovnik Libraries hold some of Perko’s paintings through a donation by Ms. Hildegard Tetsis from 2013.