The museum was closed between 2003 and 2018. I remember going to the museum in 2002. It was in a very bad state and in desperate need of renovation. The same exhibits were there, but I didn’t enjoy the visit. An inadequate lighting didn’t complement the art exhibits. Furthermore, worn out carpets and dirty walls transmitted a rather depressing image of what should’ve been a scintillating temple of culture.
One more tragic observation is that younger generations didn’t have access to the most important cultural institution in the country for 15 years. However, those days are over.
The National Museum re-opened in 2018. It’s been renovated to the highest standards, appropriate for an institution of such extreme cultural importance for the country and the Serbian nation. It’s smaller than other famous European museums, but that doesn’t mean that it is less precious.
PERMANENT COLLECTION
The new permanent exhibition represents cultural developments in that part of Europe, from prehistory to the 20th century. The emphasis is on the Serbian cultural heritage. In my opinion, the Serbian medieval art, as well as the 18th and the 19th century Serbian painting are the most fascinating.
The international collection is also rich and interesting. But, that’s something that you can also see in other European museums, with more famous masterpieces.
The building that houses the National Museum was originally a bank. In the atrium you can see the vaults from that period. Now, they present numismatic collections, from the beginning of the coin minting to the present time.
The National Museum is in Republic Square, next to the National Theatre. As you can see in the photo below, they’ve beautifully restored the museum building.
ORTHODOX FRESCO PAINTING
The Orthodox fresco painting represents the peak of the Serbian medieval art. Its birth coincided with creation and development of the Serbian medieval state but, unlike the Serbian state, it didn’t cease to exist during Ottoman occupation.
While the Serbian architecture had seen mixed influences of both Byzantine and medieval Italian states, Serbian medieval art represented by fresco and icon painting remained deeply rooted in the Eastern Byzantine tradition. Serbian rulers commissioned fresco painting as the highest form of religious decorative expression. Following the political and military growth in the 13th and the 14th centuries, the unknown artists decorated the biggest number of existing and new sanctuaries.
The oldest Serbian portrait is representation of Mihailo, the ruler of Dioclea. Records from 1077 mention the Holy See addressing him as king, indicating that he had been crowned some time before.
The portrait dates from around 1080 and it’s in the Church of the Archangel Michael in Ston, in present day Croatia. The church is a small building with a jagged façade, typical of the Pre-Romanesque period, to which it belongs. The building interior was once completely covered with frescoes done in the new Romanesque style. Mihailo holds a model of his foundation, with his face in bright and expressive colours.
MEDIEVAL SERBIA
Stefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Serbian Grand Principality between 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanjić dynasty. He is remembered for his contribution to the Serbian culture and history. Additionally, he founded a state that would evolve into the Serbian Empire and also the national church.
He was introduced to Constantinopolitan art during his captivity under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. Later, around 1175, he hired Byzantine masters – from either Constantinople or Thessaloniki. Those artists adhered to the classical, mature phase of the Komnenian period, with its stylization and also with strong contours and pathos.
Serbia, in the period from King Stefan the First-Crowned (1196-1227) to King Stefan Dragutin (1276-1282), prospered and grew stronger. The former land of Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja became the Kingdom of Raška in 1217, while the emancipated Serbian church was elevated to an archbishopric in 1219. But, territorially and economically invigorated Serbia found itself on route of the Crusaders going to the Holy Land, the invading Mongols and other nomadic people.
The economy experienced a particular surge during the rule of King Stefan Uroš (1243-1276), with the arrival of Saxon miners and an intensive use of country’s vast and varied mineral resources. Consequently, Serbia’s increased material wealth resulted in an improved culture of everyday living, manifested at the court, in homes and monasteries.
SERBIAN MEDIEVAL ART
In the realms of church and culture, this period saw a systemic introduction of the Slavic liturgy, development of the authentic literature in the Serbian language and construction of new churches in the national style. The Serbian medieval art reached its peak in the 13th century. Its importance exceeded national borders and limits of the Byzantine cultural sphere.
Two frescos featured in this post are the oldest layer of frescoes in the Prizren cathedral and they represent scenes of miracles of Jesus Christ. The painting style includes elements of Komnenian artistry – noticeable in the appearance of figures and draperies – combined with the 13th century idiom, evident in the renditions of flesh. This anachronistic style points to the work of local masters.
Another notable fresco is of the Serbian Queen Simonida, in Gračanica monastery in Kosovo. Born as Simonis Palaiologina, she was a daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and also the fourth wife of the Serbian King Stefan Milutin.
SERBIAN ITALO-CRETAN ICONS
The Italo-Cretan school describes an important school of icon painting, which flourished while Crete was under the Venetian rule, during late Middle Ages. It reached its climax after the fall of Constantinople, when it became the central force in Greek painting during the 15th, the 16th and the 17th century.
The Cretan artists developed a particular style of painting under the influence of both, the Eastern and Western artistic traditions and movements. The most famous product of the school, El Greco, was the most successful of many artists who tried to build a career in western Europe and also the one who left the Byzantine style farthest behind in his later career.
There was a substantial demand for Byzantine icons in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. As a Venetian possession since 1204, Crete had a natural advantage and dominated production and supply.
Even before the fall of Constantinople, there is evidence that leading Byzantine artists had been leaving the capital in order to settle in Crete. The migration of Byzantine artists to Crete reached its peak after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Crete became “the most important centre of art in the Greek world”, that influenced artistic developments in the rest of the Orthodox world.
ICONS OF THE EASTERN ORTHODOXY AND EARLY MEDIEVAL WEST
In the icons of the Eastern Orthodoxy and Early Medieval West, there is very little room for the artistic license. Almost everything within the image has a symbolic aspect. Thus, Christ, saints and angels – all have halos. Additionally, angels (and often John the Baptist) have wings, because they are messengers. Figures have consistent facial appearances. They hold attributes personal to them and use a few conventional poses.
Also, the colour plays an important role. Gold represents radiance of Heaven; red represents divine life. Blue represents human life. Finally, white is the Uncreated Light of God, only used for resurrection and transfiguration of Christ.
If you look at icons of Jesus and Mary: Jesus wears the red undergarment with the blue outer garment (God become human). Mary wears the blue undergarment with the red over garment (human was granted gifts by God). Thus, the icons convey the doctrine of deification.
Letters are symbols too. Most icons incorporate some calligraphic text naming a person or a depicted event. The text is often in a stylised manner.
SERBIAN 18th CENTURY RELIGIOUS PAINTING
Frescoes and icons in this post are all from the National Museum in Belgrade. They represent a small part of the magnificent collection of Serbian medieval art.
There is also a small collection of the 18th century religious paintings. I’ve included some of these paintings in this post, so that you can also get an idea of this segment of the Serbian art.
If you go to Belgrade, make sure that you visit this museum. The collection of frescoes and icons is outstanding.
Personally, I make sure that I go to this museum every time when I’m in Belgrade. Certainly, one visit is not enough if you want to see everything properly.
But thanks to these photos, I can look at these marvellous works of Serbian medieval art whenever I want.
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