Serbian art
Encyclopedia
Serbian art refers to the art of the Serbs
and Serbia
.
The territory of today's Serbia has been inhabited since pre-historical times. Indeed, Sirmium
(now Sremska Mitrovica
) is one of the oldest settlements in Europe with archaeologists tracing some form of urban life as far back as 5000 BC.
The Romans conquered Sirmium in the 1st century AD and in the latter history of the Roman Empire
, Sirmium was one of the four capital cities of the Tetrarchy
with the Emperor Galerius
establishing his capital there. It had architecture befitting its status including palaces, large public buildings and baths and marketplaces. Galerius also built temples and a palace at a site in Gamzigrad
near Zaječar
in honour of his mother Romula.
(Caričin Grad) built near today's city of Leskovac
with an acropolis
and secular and church buildings in the lower part of the town. However, it wasn't until Serbia fully converted to Christianity in the 7th- 9th centuries AD that a Serbian style of church architecture developed. Timber aisled churches with basilicas with a notable example being the Mother of God Ljeviška at Prizren
.
Much of the remaining architecture and art from the medieval period is ecclesiastical in both urban and monastic churches. In contrast, there is little remaining secular architecture with the most extensive remains being at Stari Bar
.
Church architecture developed under the patronage of the Serbian state. However, the most distinctive piece of medieval Serbian architecture was the Studenica monastery
founded by Stefan Nemanja
, the founder of medieval Serbia in c1190. This monastery also featured significant works of art including its Byzantine style fresco
paintings. Its church also features extensive sculptures based on Psalms and the Dormition of the Theotokos
. UNESCO added this monastery to its list of World Cultural Heritage sites in 1986. It was the model for other monasteries at Mileševa
, Sopoćani
and the Visoki Dečani
.
The influence of Byzantine art became more influential after the capture of Constantinople
in 1204 in the Fourth Crusade
when many Greek artists fled to Serbia. Their influence can be seen at the Church of the Ascension at Mileševa as well as in the wall paintings at the Church of the Holy Apostles at Peć
and at the Sopoćani Monastery. Icons also formed a significant part of church art.
The influence of Byzantine architecture reached its peak after 1300 including the rebuilding of the Our Lady of Ljeviš
(c1306-1307) and St. George at Staro Nagoričano as well as the Gračanica monastery
. Church decorative paintings also developed further in the period.
The Visoki Dečani monastery
in Metohija
was built between 1330 and 1350. Unlike other Serbian monasteries of the period, it was built with Romanesque
features by master-builders under the monk Vitus of Kotor. Its frescoes feature 1000 portraits portraying all of the major themes of the New Testament. The cathedral features iconostasis
, hegumen's
throne and carved royal sarcophagus. In 2004, UNESCO listed the Dečani Monastery on the World Heritage List.
There was a further spate of church building as the Serbian state contracted to the Morava basin in the late 14th century. Prince Stefan Lazarević
was a poet and patron of the arts who founded the church at Resava
at Morava with the wall paintings having a theme of parables of Christ with the people portrayed wearing feudal Serbian costumes.
Manuscripts were another significant feature of Serbian medieval art. Miroslav's Gospel features lavish calligraphy and miniatures and is a significant artwork as well as a notable work of literature. The Chludov Psalter
dating from the 14th century is beautifully decorated and was probably owned by a high-ranking noble. Serbian princes were well known in the 15th century for supporting manuscripts employing scribe
s and artists to create manuscripts.
There was some resumption of artistic endeavour after the restoration of the Serbian patriarch in 1557. Djordje Mitrofanović was the leading painter of the early 17th century with his work on the church at the Morača Monastery
considered as amongst his best. The Husein-Pasha Mosque in Pljevlja
(Montenegro) is the most notable Muslim structure in the former Serbia-Montenegro and dates from the middle of the 16th century.
A "Baroque
" church 'Our Lady of the Rocks' on an island in the Boka Kotorska (Montenegro) is one of the most notable pieces of architecture in the Serbian lands from the early modern period. There are many fine specimens of silverware dating from the 17th century there. Traditional Serbian art was beginning to show some Baroque influences at the end of the 18th century as shown in the works of Nikola Nešković
, Teodor Kračun
and Jakov Orfelin.
in Karađorđe Park in 1848 in Vračar
. Serbian paintings showed the influence of Neoclassicism
and Romanticism
during the 19th century. Anastas Jovanović
was a pioneering photographer in Serbia taking the photos of many leading citizens.
Kirilo Kutlik set up the first school of art in Serbia in 1895. Many of his students went to study in Western Europe, especially France and Germany and brought back avant-garde styles. Nadežda Petrović
was influenced by Fauvism
while Sava Šumanović
worked in Cubism
.
After World War I, the Belgrade School of Painting developed in the capital
with some members such as Milan Konjović
working in a Fauvist manner, while others such as Marko Čelebonović
working in a style called Intimisme based on the use of colours.
Some artists chose to emigrate: thus Yovan Radenkovitch (1901–1979) left Belgrade for Paris in the 1930s, befriending Matisse and Vlaminck and adopting a style greatly inspired by Fauvism
, before eventually leaving Europe to show his work in New York, in 1941; meeting with considerable acclaim, he decided, in the 1950s, to settle in the USA – near Waterbury
, Connecticut
, where several of his paintings are still kept today, in Mattatuck Museum.
Socrealism was the dominant school after World War II with the rise to power of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia under Josip Broz Tito
. However, that period did not last long – during the 1960s, Serbian artists started to break free from the constraints of the Communists led by figures such as Petar Lubarda
and Milo Milunović
. The Mediala group featuring Vladimir Veličković
was formed in the 1970s to promote Surrealist
figurative painting. Serbian art was split between those basing their works on the traditions of Serbian work such as frescoes and iconography and those exploring international styles.
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
The territory of today's Serbia has been inhabited since pre-historical times. Indeed, Sirmium
Sirmium
Sirmium was a city in ancient Roman Pannonia. Firstly mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by the Illyrians and Celts, it was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC and subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. In 294 AD, Sirmium was...
(now Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica is a city and municipality located in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, on the left bank of the Sava river. As of 2002 the town had a total population of 39,041, while Sremska Mitrovica municipality had a population of 85,605...
) is one of the oldest settlements in Europe with archaeologists tracing some form of urban life as far back as 5000 BC.
The Romans conquered Sirmium in the 1st century AD and in the latter history of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Sirmium was one of the four capital cities of the Tetrarchy
Tetrarchy
The term Tetrarchy describes any system of government where power is divided among four individuals, but usually refers to the tetrarchy instituted by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293, marking the end of the Crisis of the Third Century and the recovery of the Roman Empire...
with the Emperor Galerius
Galerius
Galerius , was Roman Emperor from 305 to 311. During his reign he campaigned, aided by Diocletian, against the Sassanid Empire, sacking their capital Ctesiphon in 299. He also campaigned across the Danube against the Carpi, defeating them in 297 and 300...
establishing his capital there. It had architecture befitting its status including palaces, large public buildings and baths and marketplaces. Galerius also built temples and a palace at a site in Gamzigrad
Gamzigrad
Gamzigrad is an archaeological site, spa resort and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serbia, located south of the Danube river, near the city of Zaječar. It is the location of the ancient Roman complex of palaces and temples Felix Romuliana, built by Emperor Galerius...
near Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
in honour of his mother Romula.
Medieval visual arts
There was an early Byzantine city generally thought to be Justiniana PrimaJustiniana Prima
Justiniana Prima is an archaeological site near today's Lebane in southern Serbia, It was a Byzantine city that served as the seat of an Archbishopric that had jurisdiction of the Central Balkans...
(Caričin Grad) built near today's city of Leskovac
Leskovac
Leskovac is a city and municipality in southern Serbia. It is the administrative center of the Jablanica District of Serbia...
with an acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
and secular and church buildings in the lower part of the town. However, it wasn't until Serbia fully converted to Christianity in the 7th- 9th centuries AD that a Serbian style of church architecture developed. Timber aisled churches with basilicas with a notable example being the Mother of God Ljeviška at Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
.
Much of the remaining architecture and art from the medieval period is ecclesiastical in both urban and monastic churches. In contrast, there is little remaining secular architecture with the most extensive remains being at Stari Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
.
Church architecture developed under the patronage of the Serbian state. However, the most distinctive piece of medieval Serbian architecture was the Studenica monastery
Studenica monastery
The Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
founded by Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
, the founder of medieval Serbia in c1190. This monastery also featured significant works of art including its Byzantine style fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
paintings. Its church also features extensive sculptures based on Psalms and the Dormition of the Theotokos
Dormition of the Theotokos
The Dormition of the Theotokos is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which commemorates the "falling asleep" or death of the Theotokos , and her bodily resurrection before being taken up into heaven. It is celebrated on August 15 The Dormition...
. UNESCO added this monastery to its list of World Cultural Heritage sites in 1986. It was the model for other monasteries at Mileševa
Mileševa monastery
Mileševa is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Prijepolje, in southwest Serbia. It was founded by King Vladislav, in the years between 1234 and 1236...
, Sopoćani
Sopocani
The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
and the Visoki Dečani
Visoki Decani monastery
Visoki Dečani is a major Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery located in Kosovo, south of the town of Peć. The monastic katholikon is the largest medieval church in the Balkans containing the most extensive preserved fresco decoration.- History :The monastery was established in a chestnut grove...
.
The influence of Byzantine art became more influential after the capture of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
in 1204 in the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
when many Greek artists fled to Serbia. Their influence can be seen at the Church of the Ascension at Mileševa as well as in the wall paintings at the Church of the Holy Apostles at Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
and at the Sopoćani Monastery. Icons also formed a significant part of church art.
The influence of Byzantine architecture reached its peak after 1300 including the rebuilding of the Our Lady of Ljeviš
Our Lady of Ljeviš
Our Lady of Ljeviš is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox Church in the town of Prizren, located in southern Serbia - Kosovo and Metohija. It was converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and then back into an Orthodox Church in the early 20th century....
(c1306-1307) and St. George at Staro Nagoričano as well as the Gračanica monastery
Gracanica monastery
Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's...
. Church decorative paintings also developed further in the period.
The Visoki Dečani monastery
Visoki Decani monastery
Visoki Dečani is a major Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery located in Kosovo, south of the town of Peć. The monastic katholikon is the largest medieval church in the Balkans containing the most extensive preserved fresco decoration.- History :The monastery was established in a chestnut grove...
in Metohija
Metohija
Metohija , is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo.It encompasses three of the seven districts of Kosovo, namely the historical :* District of Peć * District of Đakovica * District of Prizren...
was built between 1330 and 1350. Unlike other Serbian monasteries of the period, it was built with Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
features by master-builders under the monk Vitus of Kotor. Its frescoes feature 1000 portraits portraying all of the major themes of the New Testament. The cathedral features iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
, hegumen's
Hegumen
Hegumen, hegumenos, igumen, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called hegumenia or ihumenia . The term means "the one who is in charge", "the leader" in...
throne and carved royal sarcophagus. In 2004, UNESCO listed the Dečani Monastery on the World Heritage List.
There was a further spate of church building as the Serbian state contracted to the Morava basin in the late 14th century. Prince Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
was a poet and patron of the arts who founded the church at Resava
Manasija monastery
Manasija , also known as Resava , is a Serb Orthodox monastery near Despotovac, Serbia, founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević between 1406 and 1418. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It is one of the most significant monuments of medieval Serbian culture and it belongs to the "Morava...
at Morava with the wall paintings having a theme of parables of Christ with the people portrayed wearing feudal Serbian costumes.
Manuscripts were another significant feature of Serbian medieval art. Miroslav's Gospel features lavish calligraphy and miniatures and is a significant artwork as well as a notable work of literature. The Chludov Psalter
Chludov Psalter
Chludov Psalter is an illuminated marginal Psalter made in the middle of the 9th Century. It is a unique monument of Byzantine art at the time of the Iconoclasm, one of only three illuminated Byzantine Psalters to survive from the 9th century....
dating from the 14th century is beautifully decorated and was probably owned by a high-ranking noble. Serbian princes were well known in the 15th century for supporting manuscripts employing scribe
Scribe
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
s and artists to create manuscripts.
Ecclestical art
| Name | Location | Date | Artist / Community | Depicting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christ Carrying the Cross Fresco |  Dečani Monastery |
14th C | Unknown / Dečani Monastery | Christ Carrying the Cross | |
_001.jpg) |
Assumption of Mary | Gračanica Monastery Gracanica monastery Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's... |
14th C | Unknown / Gračanica Monastery Gracanica monastery Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's... |
Taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven Heaven Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit... |
| Dormition of virgin Mary | Sopoćani Sopocani The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras... |
14th C | Unknown / Sopoćani Sopocani The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras... |
Dormition of Virgin Mary |
Ecclestical monuments
- SopoćaniSopocaniThe Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
monastery, 1265, Ras cityRas cityStari Ras , known at the time as Ras, was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, and the most important one for a long period of time. Located in today's region of Raška or Sandžak of Serbia, the city was right in the centre of the early medieval state that started to... - Mileševa monasteryMileševa monasteryMileševa is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Prijepolje, in southwest Serbia. It was founded by King Vladislav, in the years between 1234 and 1236...
, 1236, PrijepoljePrijepoljePrijepolje is a town and municipality in the Zlatibor District of Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality of Prijepolje has a population of 36,713 people, while the town itself has a population of 13,068... - Visoki Dečani, 1327, DečaniDecaniDecani is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel, although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral and Southwell Minster...
- Patriarchate of PećPatriarchate of PecThe Patriarchate of Peć is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Peć. The complex of churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs....
, 13th century, PećPecPeć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha.... - Our Lady of LjevišOur Lady of LjevišOur Lady of Ljeviš is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox Church in the town of Prizren, located in southern Serbia - Kosovo and Metohija. It was converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and then back into an Orthodox Church in the early 20th century....
, 12th century, PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians... - Gračanica MonasteryGracanica monasteryGračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's...
, 1321, Gračanica, KosovoGracanica, KosovoGračanica is a town and municipality in central Kosovo, and a Serb enclave centered around the Gračanica monastery, located ten kilometers away from Pristina... - Đurđevi stupovi, 1166, Novi PazarNovi PazarNovi Pazar is a city and municipality located in southwest Serbia, in the Raška District. According to the official census in 2011, number of inhabitants of municipality is 92,776, while the city itself has a population of 60,638...
- Studenica monasteryStudenica monasteryThe Studenica monastery is a 12th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery situated 39 km southwest of Kraljevo, in central Serbia. It is one of the largest and richest Serb Orthodox monasteries....
, 1190, KraljevoKraljevoKraljevo is a city and municipality in central Serbia, built beside the river Ibar, 7 km west of its confluence with the Western Morava. It is located in the midst of an upland valley, between the mountains of Kotlenik in the north, and Stolovi in the south.In 2011 the city has population of... - Saint Archangels MonasterySaint Archangels MonasteryThe Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, in southern Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex...
, 1343, PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians... - Ostrog monasteryOstrog monasteryThe Monastery of Ostrog is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church placed against an almost vertical background, high up in the large rock of Ostroška Greda, in Montenegro. It is dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog . From the monastery, a superb view of the Bjelopavlići plain can be seen...
, 17th century, MontenegroMontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the... - Krka monasteryKrka monasteryKrka Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Archangel Michael, located near the river Krka, 3 km east of Kistanje, in central Dalmatia, Croatia...
, 1345, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
Visual Arts in Early Modern Serbia
The Ottoman conquest of Serbia during the 15th century is traditionally said to have had a negative impact of the visual arts. The church was not subdued to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate at Constantinople and the class of nobles, where not integrated into the Ottoman state system, was discontinued. As the nobility and church were the main sources of patronage for architects and artists, the early modern period is considered an artistic less productive period in the art of Serbia. Despite the general trend, remarkable monuments were built.There was some resumption of artistic endeavour after the restoration of the Serbian patriarch in 1557. Djordje Mitrofanović was the leading painter of the early 17th century with his work on the church at the Morača Monastery
Moraca monastery
Morača is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in the valley of the Morača River in central Montenegro. It is one of the best known medieval monuments of Montenegro. It was founded in 1252 by Stefan, son of Vukan Nemanjić, the Grand Prince of Zeta, the grandson of Stefan Nemanja...
considered as amongst his best. The Husein-Pasha Mosque in Pljevlja
Pljevlja
Pljevlja is a town and municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The city lies at an altitude of...
(Montenegro) is the most notable Muslim structure in the former Serbia-Montenegro and dates from the middle of the 16th century.
A "Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
" church 'Our Lady of the Rocks' on an island in the Boka Kotorska (Montenegro) is one of the most notable pieces of architecture in the Serbian lands from the early modern period. There are many fine specimens of silverware dating from the 17th century there. Traditional Serbian art was beginning to show some Baroque influences at the end of the 18th century as shown in the works of Nikola Nešković
Nikola Neškovic
Nikola Nešković was the most famous Serbian religious painter of the 18th century. He is the author of over a thousand works, including many icons, frescos, and portraits.-External links:**...
, Teodor Kračun
Teodor Kracun
Teodor Kračun was an Serbian 18th century painter, considered the most renowned artist of the Baroque painting style in North Serbia....
and Jakov Orfelin.
Modern Visual Arts
There was somewhat of a resurgence in Serbian art in the 19th century as Serbia gradually regained its autonomy. Prince Aleksandar commissioned the building of a Monument to the InsurgentsMonument to the Insurgents
Monument to the Insurgents is the first modern monument in Serbia, erected by Prince Aleksandar of Serbia in 1848, in Karađorđev Park in Vračar, Belgrade....
in Karađorđe Park in 1848 in Vračar
Vracar
Vračar is an urban neighborhood and one of 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade. With an area of only , it is the smallest of all Belgrade's municipalities, but also the most densely populated. Vračar is one of the three municipalities that constitute the central area of the...
. Serbian paintings showed the influence of Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
and Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
during the 19th century. Anastas Jovanović
Anastas Jovanovic
Anastas Jovanović was the first Serbian photographer of his time to treat photography as an art form and to capture on film historical events as they were happening. He was the author of the first photographic pantheon of the most significant events and people of his time...
was a pioneering photographer in Serbia taking the photos of many leading citizens.
Kirilo Kutlik set up the first school of art in Serbia in 1895. Many of his students went to study in Western Europe, especially France and Germany and brought back avant-garde styles. Nadežda Petrović
Nadežda Petrovic
Nadežda Petrović is considered the most important Serbian female painter from the late 19th and early 20th century...
was influenced by Fauvism
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
while Sava Šumanović
Sava Šumanovic
Sava Šumanović was a 20th-century Serbian painter.Sava Šumanović was born in Vinkovci, today's Croatia in 1896. He graduated from High School in Zemun, across the Danube from Belgrade, where he was first introduced to the art of painting. He later enrolled in the College of Arts in Zagreb then...
worked in Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
.
After World War I, the Belgrade School of Painting developed in the capital
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
with some members such as Milan Konjović
Milan Konjovic
Milan Konjović was a prominent Serbian painter whose works can be divided into six periods of artistic style. He studied in many countries abroad and lived in Paris from 1924 to 1932...
working in a Fauvist manner, while others such as Marko Čelebonović
Marko Celebonovic
Marko Čelebonović was one of the most famous Serbian painters of the 20th century.Čelebonović was born in Belgrade. He studied law and economics in England and France. His first public exhibition was in Paris in 1925. Before World War II he resided in Saint Tropez. During the years of war he was...
working in a style called Intimisme based on the use of colours.
Some artists chose to emigrate: thus Yovan Radenkovitch (1901–1979) left Belgrade for Paris in the 1930s, befriending Matisse and Vlaminck and adopting a style greatly inspired by Fauvism
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
, before eventually leaving Europe to show his work in New York, in 1941; meeting with considerable acclaim, he decided, in the 1950s, to settle in the USA – near Waterbury
Waterbury
Waterbury is a city in Connecticut in the United States.Waterbury may also refer to any one of the following:-Places:United States*Waterbury, Nebraska*Waterbury, Vermont*Waterbury , Vermont,a village within the town of Waterbury, Vermont....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, where several of his paintings are still kept today, in Mattatuck Museum.
Socrealism was the dominant school after World War II with the rise to power of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia under Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
. However, that period did not last long – during the 1960s, Serbian artists started to break free from the constraints of the Communists led by figures such as Petar Lubarda
Petar Lubarda
Petar Lubarda was a Serbian painter, considered to be an influential figure on post-war painting in former Yugoslavia....
and Milo Milunović
Milo Milunovic
Milo Milunović was a distinguished Montenegrin painter. He dabbled in both Impressionism and Cubism.-Biography:...
. The Mediala group featuring Vladimir Veličković
Vladimir Velickovic
Vladimir Veličković is one of the most prominent Serbian painters. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Belgrade University. From 1963 to 1966, he was an assistant in Krsto Hegedušić’s Master workshop in Zagreb, and in 1966 he moved to Paris...
was formed in the 1970s to promote Surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
figurative painting. Serbian art was split between those basing their works on the traditions of Serbian work such as frescoes and iconography and those exploring international styles.