Georgije "Đura" Jakšić ( sr-Cyrl, Георгије Ђура Јакшић; 27 July 1832 – 16 November 1878) was a Serbian poet, painter, writer, dramatist and

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

Biography

Đura Jakšić was born as Georgije Jakšić in Srpska Crnja,

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

(present-day

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

). His father was a

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the population in ...

priest. Georgije's early education took place in

Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...

and

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

. He lived for a time in

Zrenjanin Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous pro ...

, where he began studying painting under

Konstantin Danil Konstantin Danil ( sr-Cyrl, Константин Данил, ro, Constantin Dănilă, 1798-1873) was a Serbian painter of the 19th century. He is most famous for his portraits and religious painting. Danil is considered to be the most important ...

. He later studied

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

but the

revolution of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

interrupted his education, which he never finished. He took active part in the 1848 Revolution and was wounded while fighting in

Srbobran Srbobran ( sr, Србобран, ; hu, Szenttamás) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town is located on the north bank of the Danube-Tisa-Danube canal. The town ...

. After the revolution he moved to

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

Principality of Serbia The Principality of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Књажество Србија, Knjažestvo Srbija) was an autonomous state in the Balkans that came into existence as a result of the Serbian Revolution, which lasted between 1804 and 1817. Its creation was ...

, where he served as a schoolteacher, a

lector Lector is Latin for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages it takes various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as french: lecteur, en, lector, pl, lektor and russian: лектор. It has various specialized uses. ...

in a state-owned printing office, and in various other jobs, although he was often unemployed. As a political liberal, he was persecuted by authorities. Jakšić died in 1878, having had taken part in the uprising against the Turks in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. Jakšić is one of the most expressive representatives of Serbian

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. According to Serbian literary critic

Jovan Skerlić Jovan Skerlić (, ; 20 August 1877 – 15 May 1914) was a Serbian writer and literary critic.''Jovan Skerlić u srpskoj književnosti 1877–1977: Zbornik radova''. Posebna izdanja, Institut za knjizevnost i umetnost, Belgrade. He is seen as on ...

, Jakšiċ was influenced mainly by

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; sk, Alexander Petrovič; sr, Александар Петровић; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet of Serbian origin and liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's ...

, the great Hungarian poet of the 1848 Revolution, and

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

's poetry depicting the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

Literary works

Đura Jakšić wrote about forty short stories and three full-length dramas in verse on historical themes: *'' Stanoje Glavaš'' (1878) *The Migration of the Serbs (''Seoba Srbalja'', 1864) *Elizabeth the Montenegrin Queen (''Jelisaveta kneginja crnogorska'', 1868) and the novel ''Warriors''. He also wrote poems, several of which are considered among the best of 19th-century Serbian poetry: ''

Na Liparu NA, N.A., Na, nA or n/a may refer to: Chemistry and physics * Sodium, symbol Na, a chemical element * Avogadro constant (''N''A) * Nucleophilic addition, a type of reaction in organic chemistry * Numerical aperture, a number that characterizes ...

'' (On the Lipar Hill), ''

Put u Gornjak Put or PUT may refer to: Finance * Put option, a financial contract between a buyer and a seller * CBOE S&P 500 PutWrite Index (ticker symbol) Science and technology * Programmable unijunction transistor Computing * Parameterized unit testin ...

'' (The Road to Gornjak) and '' Mila'', which is dedicated to his first love Mila, who he intended to marry but never found courage to tell her. He also drew sketches of Mila, one of which later became his famous painting " Devojka u Plavom" (The Girl in Blue). Other notable poems are ''Otadžbina'' (Fatherland), ''Veče'' (Evening) and ''Ponoć'' (Midnight). Jakšić published ''Pripovetke'' (Short Stories), which was released posthumously in two volumes on two occasions, 1882–1883 and 1902 in Belgrade. Through them he expressed his pessimism and bitterness about the harsh blows life and people had dealt him. A popular motif in Jakšić's work is the

Battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo ( tr, Kosova Savaşı; sr, Косовска битка) took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan ...

Kosovo myth The Kosovo Myth ( sr, Косовски мит / ''Kosovski mit''), also known as the Kosovo Cult and the Kosovo Legend, is a Serbian national myth based on legends about events related to the Battle of Kosovo (1389). It has been a subject in Serb ...

, eagles and

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry ( sr, Српске епске народне песме, Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ...

Artistic opus

Jakšić painted around 200 paintings. The main influences on Jakšić were

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...

and

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

. Jakšić's work varies in quality, ranging from masterpieces to half-professional paintings. According to

Novak Radonić Novak Radonić ( sr-Cyrl, Новак Радонић; Mol, 31 March 1826 – Sremska Kamenica, 11 July 1890) was a painter from modern-day Serbia. Work He was the pupil of Petar Pilić and Nikola Aleksić before he went to study art in Vienna. Up ...

, the biggest problem with his painting is the improper use of anatomy. His most praised picture is " The Lady in Blue", which was used for promotion during the reopening of the

National Museum of Serbia The National Museum of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three streets: Čika Ljubina ...

. The following paintings by Đura Jakšić are part of the collection of the National Museum in Belgrade: * Autoprotrait * Battle of Montenegris * Kosovo * Night Watch (''Na straži'') * ''Ubistvo Karađorđa'' (The Assassination of

Karađorđe Petrović Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...

) * Strahinja Ban ( Strahinja Banović) * Knez Lazar Hrebeljanović (

Lazar of Serbia Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-cyr, Лазар Хребељановић; ca. 1329 – 15 June 1389) was a medieval Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empire. Lazar's state, ...

) * Girl in Blue (''Devojka u plavom'') * Portrait of director Ćirić * Car Dušan (

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

) * Knjaz

Milan Obrenović IV Milan Obrenović ( sr-cyr, Милан Обреновић, Milan Obrenović; 22 August 1854 – 11 February 1901) reigned as the prince of Serbia from 1868 to 1882 and subsequently as king from 1882 to 1889. Milan I unexpectedly abdicated in ...

*Nevesta Baja Pivljanina (The bride of

Bajo Pivljanin Bajo Pivljanin ( sr-cyr, Бајо Пивљанин – 7 May 1685), born Dragojlo Nikolić, was a Montenegrin and Serbian '' hajduk'' commander mostly active in the Ottoman territories of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia. Born in Piva, at the ...

)

Legacy

Đura Jakšić is included in

The 100 most prominent Serbs ''The 100 most prominent Serbs'' ( sr-Cyrl, 100 најзнаменитијих Срба) is a book containing the biographies of the hundred most important Serbs compiled by a committee of academicians at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. ...

. His house in Srpska Crnja is currently used as a Memorial Museum and for poetry performances. Jakšić was one of the leaders of Serbian Romanticism and one of the country's greatest painters of that movement, together witk

. Although he wrote a number of loosely organized romantic plays, he is mostly known for his paintings and poetry. His poems include sonnets, lyrics, patriotic songs and full-scale epics. His favorite theme is nature and the patriotism. The award for the best book of poetry in the

Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standardized variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-official in Montenegro and Kos ...

bears his name. Jakšić was also a teacher and a professor; schools and colleges throughout Serbia bear his name. A number of anecdotes about Jakšić was published.

Gallery

File:Đura Jakšić - Knez Lazar, 1857‒1859, Narodni muzej.jpg, '' knez Lazar Hrebeljanović'', 1857‒1859 File:Đura Jakšić - Devojka u plavom, 1856, Narodni muzej u Beogradu, Zbirka Joce Vujića.jpg, ''Devojka u plavom (Girl in Blue),'' 1856 File:Đura Jakšić - Odmor posle boja (Karaula), 1876, Narodni muzej.jpg, ''Odmor posle boja (karaula)'', 1876 File:Đura Jakšić - Autoportret, 1857‒1858, Narodni muzej.jpg, ''Self-portrait'', 1857‒1858 File:Đura Jakšić - Takovski ustanak, 1876‒1878, Narodni muzej.jpg, ''The Uprising at Takovo,'' 1876‒1878 File:Đura Jakšić - Crnogorac, 1875, Narodni muzej Crne Gore, Cetinje.jpg, '' Montenegrin'', 1875 File:Đura Jakšić - Ustanak Crnogoraca, 1862, Galerija Matice srpske.jpg, ''Uprising of Montenegrins'', 1862

References

* Translated and adapted from

's ''Istorija Nove Srpske Književnosti''/History of New Serbian Literature (Belegrade, 1914, 1921), pages 310–319.

External links

*
Đura Jakšić's grave at ''Belgrade Graveyards website

A collection of scanned books by Jakšić

Translated works by Đura Jakšić
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaksic, Dura 1832 births 1878 deaths People from Nova Crnja Serbian dramatists and playwrights Serbian male short story writers Serbian male painters Serbian male poets 19th-century Serbian poets 19th-century Serbian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Serbian painters 19th-century male artists 19th-century short story writers 19th-century male writers Poètes maudits Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery