Inspiration and Affirmation of Revolution in Nineteenth-Century Serbian Painting‪.‬

History painting assumed an unprecedented level of importance in nineteenth- century Serbia. Previously, it was essentially limited to depictions of Serb ruler saints and tied to the traditions of the Orthodox church. (1) The impact of such a dependency was both thematic and stylistic. Secularization of subjects and stylistic changes typically met with little approval, let alone support. Moreover, the cultural isolation produced by centuries of Turkish occupation further hampered artistic change. Although there were preparations and preludes, the events of the nineteenth century, beginning with the first Insurrection in 1804, dramatically reshaped Serbian political, social, cultural, and artistic life. Expanding international contacts brought a new level of western political involvement as well as exposure to modern institutional structures, diverse intellectual ideas, and artistic concepts and styles. Secular art in the Classical, Romantic, and Realist styles was embraced by Serbian artists studying at the academies in Vienna, Buda, Pest, Munich, and Dusseldorf. (2)