Đorđe Krstić

(1851-1907)

Đorđe Krstić is considered to be the “founder of modern art among the Serbs”. He received his first art lessons from the prominent Serbian teacher of his time, Stevan Todorović. In 1873, he enrolled at Munich Academy of Fine Arts, from which he graduated in 1881. Shortly after graduation he returned to Serbia, where he was commissioned by Prince Milan Obrenović to travel through the newly liberated land to paint Serbian people and landscapes and to document historical events. Krstić adopted ideas and a wide brush stroke style of painting from Munich, introducing a new and refreshing style into Serbian art.

Uroš Predić

(1857-1953)

Uroš Predić is one of the greatest Serbian Realist painters. His painting The Maiden of Kosovo is the most famous piece of art that can be recognized by every Serb.

Uroš Predić studied art at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of Professor Christian Griepenkerl. In 1880 he started working at the Griepenkerl Art Studio where he painted 13 mythological paintings, now kept at the building of the Austrian Parliament. In 1883 he become an Assistant Professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. In 1888, he returned to Serbia, where he spent the rest of his life working between his native village of Orlovat in Vojvodina and Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

Paja Jovanović

(1859-1957)

In 1877, Paja Jovanović entered the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. A year later, due to his exceptional talent, he received a Royal Scholarship, which was normally given to Hungarian native students. He spent majority of his life working in Vienna and occasionally in Belgrade.

Under the influence of his colleague Karl Muller, Paja Jovanović often travelled to Serbia, Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania to record oriental life. The authenticity of his Orientalist images were not simply the result of acquired technical skill and observation of the external but rather were due to his familiarity, understanding, and emotional attachment to the people, life and places he knew so well1.

Katarina Ivanović

(1811–1882)

Katarina Ivanović is remembered as the first woman painter among Serbs. Even thought it was prohibited for women attend universities, Katarina Ivanović as a very talented person got an opportunity to learn painting at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. Beside portraits, she also painted still life and historical compositions.

Đura Jakšić

(1832-1878)

Đura Jakšić is better known as writer and poet than as a painter, still he is the most expressive representatives of Serbian Romanticism and recognized as one of the most talented Serbian painters of the 19th century. He studied in Vienna, Budapest and Munich, but never finished any of the schools attempted. He painted portraits and historical events such as Death of Karadjordje, Torches Through the Istanbul Gate and Montenegrin’s Uprise. Many schools throughout Serbia and the rest of the former Yugoslavia still bear his name.

Anastas Jovanović

(1817-1899)

“The first Serbian Photographer”, Anastas Jovanović, studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He was personal photographer of Prince Mihailo as well as the Chief of Prince Mihailo’s cabinet. He painted portraits of almost every prominent Serb of his time, but he was also skilful as draftsman and lithographer.

Rista Vukanović

(1873-1918)

His art studies began in Petersburg, Russia , but then in 1893 he moved to Munch, Germany where he continued studies at the studio of Slovenian painter Anton Ažbe and the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. In 1898, after graduating, he moved to Belgrade, Serbia.

Petar Ranosović

(1858-1918)

Petar spend his youth living in Istambul (Turkey), Odessa (Ukraine) and Belgrade. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in , where he graduated in 1887, and then shortly after he moved to Belgrade where he lived for the rest of his life.

Dimitrije Avramović

(1815-1855)

He graduated in 1840 at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. From 1841 through 1845, he was painting altarpieces and frescos for the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Belgrade. Avramović also painted portraits of prominent Serbs, but his passion were caricature drawings.

Uroš Knežević

(1811–1876)

It is believed that he studied from 1844 through 1947 in Vienna, from 1844 till 1847, however his name cannot be found in a student’s records of the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He spent most of his life in Belgrade painting, mostly, portraits of famous people from the Serbian History.

Pavle Simić

(1818-1876)

Pavle Simić started his studies at the workshop of Alojz Kastanj in Novi Sad; however, he finished his studies at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. After his studies in Vienna, he moved in 1842 to Novi Sad, Vojvodina. His works include portraits, icons, altarpieces, and a number of significant historical compositions such as Hadž Ruvim and Hadži Đera and Birčanin Ilija Paying Tax to Turks.

Pavle Čortanović

(1830-1903)

In 1851, he enrolled at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, however he never finished his studies. The best guidance and teaching in art, he received from his father Petar Čortanović, who was also a painter. His spatiality was etching but he painted altarpiece as well.

Adam Stefanović

(1832-1887)

He studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, but graduated from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He is remembered as a lithograph inspired by historical events from Serbian medieval state and Epic Poetry.

Stevan Todorović

(1832-1925)

Stevan Todorović was not only a painter, but also an actor, singer, gymnast and teacher of drawing. He wrote in his autobiography that he studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in the class of Professor Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, yet his name cannot be found in the student’s records. Nevertheless, he left behind more than thousand paintings and numerous aquarelles and drawings, among which the portrait of Kornelije Stanković and historical composition Hajduk Veljko by Cannon. To this day he is recognized as one of the most important representatives of Serbian Romanticism.

Miloš Tenković

(1849-1890)

After several unsuccessful attempts to enroll at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, in 1870 he was finally able to passed an exam and enroll at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. His first teacher was well known Serbian painter Stevan Todorović. After returning to Serbia, in 1878, he become a drawing at the Second Belgrade Gymnasium. Along with Đorđe Krstić, Tenković, mostly painting landscapes and still-life, is recognized as one of the first representatives of Serbian Realism.

Novak Radonić

(1826-1890)

He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in the class of professor Karl Heinrich. After graduating in 1856, he moved to Novi Sad where he was painting, mostly, portraits. He was very critical about his own work to the point that he would abandon painting for sometime. One of his most famous compositions is the Death of Emperor Uroš which was inspired by Serbian history and Epic poetry.

Milan Jovanović

(1863-1944)

Milan Jovanović was the photographer at the courts of Aleksandar I Obrenović and Peter I Karadordević. He studied art at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and was the younger sibling of one of the most renowned Serbian painters, Paja Jovanović.

Jovan Popović

(1810-1864)

Jovan Popović was the most prominent advocate of Bider Meyer in Serbia. He studied painting in the studio of Konstantin Danil, one of the most prominent Serbian painters at the beginning of 19th century. He also studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. In spirit of Bider Meyer he painted portraits.

Marko Stojanović

(1844-1923)

He never studied art, but since Anastas Jovanović can be seen on his photographs, it is believed that Marko Stojanović learned and developed his artistic skills under Anastas Jovanovic’s influence. At the end of 19th and during the beginning of the 20th century, Stojanović captured life in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. His photographs are considered to be one of the most important documents capturing the moments of that period.