Sculptor Svetoslav Peruzzi was one of the founders of the Vesna art club in Vienna. The club was founded in 1903 by Slovenian and Croatian students of the Vienna Academy. The members of the club highlighted Slovenian folk art in their works and focused mainly on book illustration, caricature and satire.

Peruzzi’s work was characterised by a calm realist tone with Secession-style poetic elements. In 1907, the sculptor created an academic realist bust of Primož Trubar. The full bust shows the father of Slovenian literature wearing a distinctive headdress and priestly vestments. The bearded figure with head turned slightly to the right offers deep psychological insight into its subject. The sculptor aimed to depict Trubar in active contemplation, likely at the moment when he understood that he could advance Protestantism by using the Slovene language in print.