Pavle "Paja" Jovanović ( sr-cyr, Павле "Паја" Јовановић; ; 16 June 1859 – 30 November 1957) was a Serbian realist painter who painted more than 1,100 works including: '' The Wounded Montenegrin'' (1882), '' Decorating of the Bride'' (1886), '' The Takovo Uprising'' (1894), '' Migration of the Serbs'' (1896) and ''

The Proclamation of Dušan's Law Codex ''The Proclamation of Dušan's Law Codex'' (, sr-Cyrl, Проглашење Душановог законика) is the name given to each of seven versions of a composition painted by Paja Jovanović which depict Stefan Dušan, Dušan the Mig ...

'' (1900). As one of the best European painters of oriental scenes, Paja at the end of the 19th century turned to painting historical events of Serbian history. Paja was also the premier portraitist of Europe after 1905. He painted the Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

15 times. He painted royalty, major industrialists, scientists, bankers, oil barons and monopolists, including certain heirs to the

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...

fortune in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He was a very sought-after portraitist world-wide, which made him incredibly wealthy in his lifetime. Many European and international museums carry his works, signed under various names including: Paul Joanowitch in the

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited art mu ...

and also two portraits in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Paul Joanowits, Paul Ivanovitch, Paul Joanovitch, Paul Joanovitsch, P. Joanowitsch and others.

Biography

Paja Jovanović was born in

Vršac Vršac ( sr-Cyrl, Вршац, ) is a city in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2022, the city urban area had a population of 31,946, while the city administrative area had 45,462 inhabitants. It is located in the geographical ...

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

(modern-day

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

). His father was photographer Stevan Jovanović and his mother was Ernestina née Deot, of French descent. He spent his childhood and early youth in this home town, where he saw the

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...

of Pavel Đurković and Arsenije Teodorović in the town churches, which would influence his future works. So Paja Jovanović started drawing himself, at first in secret, copying church pictures and spending hours in the empty church that he considered his first teacher. However, at the time when the ecclesiastical municipality in Vršac decided to order new bells for the Cathedral and when it was necessary to create drawings of saints, it became known about his talent. Thus, already at the age of fourteen, Jovanović received his first commission, and, thanks to significant praise, a kind of pass to Vienna and the opportunity to enroll in the Academy. Jovanović's mother died at a young age and his father went on to remarry. He received his first art lectures and knowledge from his teacher Vodecki. His father took him to

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in 1875 when he was 15, where he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in 1877 in the class of professor Christian Griepenkerl. He finished the Academy in 1880, attending several important courses taught by Leopold Carl Müller, known as an "orientalist". There is no doubt that Miller's crucial lessons determined his painting preference. Noting the increased interest of Europe to the events in the Balkans, he travelled during the holidays to Albania, Montenegro, Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia gathering sketches and studies of the life of the Balkan peoples. Precisely these themes brought Paja Jovanović worldwide fame and popularity. In the following period, having noticed the greater interest of Europe for the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, he painted mostly scenes from the life of the

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

Montenegrins Montenegrins (, or ) are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common ancestry, culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro. Montenegrins are mostly Orthodox Christians; however, the population also includes ...

, Herzogivinans,

Aromanians The Aromanians () are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgari ...

and

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

, which brought him a great reputation. Encouraged to visit the Balkan region during his hiatus, he studied the customs and folklore of the people, and in 1882 he was awarded the prize of the Academy and was given the Imperial scholarship for the composition ''The Wounded Montenegrin''. The public and many art critics directed their attention to the young painter, and in 1883 he signed a contract with the "French" gallery in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He continued his travelling through

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. A great number of sketches, notes, and studies, along with the collected objects from the life of the common people, will find their place in his famous genre-compositions, such as: ''

Fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...

'', ''Decorating of the Bride'', and ''

Cockfighting Cockfighting is a blood sport involving domesticated roosters as the combatants. The first documented use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or entertainment, was recorded in 1634, after the term ...

.'' Some of Jovanović's most remarkable praises were gathered at two of his greatest exhibitions: Millennium exhibition in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

in 1896, where he prepared '' Migration of the Serbs'' for entry, but the '' Vršac triptych'' was sent instead, and the World Exhibition in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1900, for which he had painted a great historical composition ''

''. As of 1888, he was proclaimed a member of the Serbian Royal Academy. He was tasked with painting monumental, historical compositions. After 1905 he devoted himself exclusively to painting the portraits in the style of academic realism for the rich clientele, and he became very famous thanks to them. Some of the most famous include those of ''Painter Simington'', Mihajlo Pupin, Đorđe Jovanović,

King Alexander I of Yugoslavia Alexander I Karađorđević (, ; – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier ( / ), was King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from 16 August 1921 to 3 October 1929 and King of Yugoslavia from 3 October 1929 until Alexander I of Y ...

and others. He painted the portraits of his longtime model and wife, Muni with special care. Painting women for Paja Jovanović always meant painting beauty. He simply did not want to see them ugly and old. Even when it was about not so beautiful women, he always tried to find the beauty in them. Many art critics reproached him for this, and sent fierce and even caustic criticisms, but he remained true to himself and his wisdom in life: "Skill is to find beauty." Jovanović focused mostly on Serbian history, painting various historical events, such as * ''

, codex made by first Serbian Emperor'' * ''

Saint Sava Saint Sava (, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; Glagolitic: ; ; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1235/6), known as the Enlightener or the Illuminator, was a Serbs, Serbian prince and Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox monk, abbot of Studenica Monastery, Studeni ...

reconciling his quarrelling brothers, Sava was monk and a saint who focused on Serbian education and religion'' * '' Migration of the Serbs, Depicting

led by

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Arsenije III, fleeing

Old Serbia Old Serbia () is a Serbian historiographical term that is used to describe the territory that according to the dominant school of Serbian historiography in the late 19th century formed the core of the Serbian Empire in 1346–71. The term does ...

and moving up north to

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

and

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...

'' * ''The Wedding of Emperor

Stefan Dušan Stephen (honorific), Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан), also known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Силни; – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Emperor of th ...

'' He painted the

in the church of St Nicholas in Dolovo and Orthodox cathedral in Novi Sad, which was painted without commission. He spent most of his time in his atelier in Vienna, where he settled, and occasionally travelled to

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

. In 1940 he was made honorary citizen of

, and in 1949 he was given the Order ''zasluga za narod'' (Merit for People) of the first category. He lived quietly and lonely, after his wife's early death, in Vienna until his own death in 1957. According to his will, the urn with his ashes was to be moved to Belgrade and where Museum of Paja Jovanović was opened in 1970, as well in Vršac. Later, in the building of the Old Pharmacy on the Stairs, in 1977 the permanent commemorative exhibition of Paja Jovanović was opened. The works of Paja Jovanović have been kept in the Town Museum of Vršac, along with his well-known painting Vršac triptych. Most of his works and personal belongings can be found in the Belgrade City Museum.

Benefactor

Paja Jovanović was also a member of " Privrednik" Patronage. He remembered after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, that it was the Matica Srpska that afforded him schooling. He joined Privrednik's work early on, making annual monetary donations and furthermore donating his valuable works of art to the Society.

Legacy

He is included in The 100 most prominent Serbs list. Along with

Uroš Predić Uroš Predić ( sr-Cyrl, Урош Предић, ; Orlovat, 7 December 1857 – Belgrade, 12 February 1953) was a Serbian Realism (visual arts), Realist painter. Along with Paja Jovanović and Đorđe Krstić, he is considered the most important ...

and

Đorđe Krstić Đorđe Krstić also Djordje Krstić (, ; 19 April 1851 – 30 October 1907) was a Serbian Realism (visual arts), realist painter and Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, academic. He is often ranked alongside his contemporaries, Paja Jovanović ...

, he is considered the most important Serbian painter of realism. Thanks to his extremely rich oeuvre with over 1100 works, especially works with themes from folk life and history, he strongly and widely influenced art education, culture, but also the patriotism of Serbian people. Jovanović received a number of orders and decorations both in Serbia and abroad. A number of schools in Serbia are named after him.

Awards

* The second award, for the composition the ''Wounded Montenegrin'', the final annual exhibition of Department of Historical Painting in 1881 *Gold Medal at the National Exhibition in Vienna in 1898 for the painting ''Cockfight'' *Gold Medal at the World's Fair in Paris in 1900 for the painting ''The Coronation of Emperor Dušan'' *Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of the Vienna Art Society in 1901 for the painting ''The Wedding of Duke Ferri'' (or ''The Wedding of Emperor Stefan Dušan'') *Gold Medal at the Paris Salon in 1902 for the painting ''Furor Teutonicus'' * Order of Merits for the People, 1st class, 1949

Selected works

File:Paja Jovanović, Ženidba Cara Dušana, 1901.jpg, ''The Wedding of Emperor Stefan Dušan'' (1904) File:Paja Jovanovic;Cas macevanje.jpg, ''The Fencing lesson'' (1884) File:Paja Jovanović;Ranjeni Crnogorac .jpg, '' The Wounded Montenegrin'' (1882) File:Joanovitch Paul (1859–1957) The Sword Dance, Private Collection.jpg, ''The Sword Dance'' or ''Fencing Game'' (1890) File:Vršac triptych.jpg, '' Vršac triptych'' (1895), Vršac City Museum File:Serbmigra.jpg, '' Migration of the Serbs'' (1896), Pančevo Museum. File:Miloš, Marko i vila.jpg, ''Miloš, Marko and the Fairy'' (1906) File:Sveti Sava miri zavađenu braću.jpg, ''

reconciling his quarrelling brothers'' (1901) File:Paja Jovanović-Krunisanje Cara Dušana.jpg, ''

'' (1900). File:Furor-teutonicus-2.jpg, Furor Teutonicus by Paul Joanovitch The monumental oil painting (24 square meters) made in 1899 describes the

Battle of the Teutoburg Forest The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, also called the Varus Disaster or Varian Disaster () by Ancient Rome, Roman historians, was a major battle fought between an alliance of Germanic peoples and the Roman Empire between September 8 and 11, 9&nbs ...

. It went missing after being in the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, though this sketch has survived. File:Paja Jovanović, Takovski ustanak.jpg, ''The Takovo Uprising, depicting Miloš Obrenović (1894)''

References

External links

Museum of Paja Jovanovic
Belgrade City Museum.
The Legacy of Paja Jovanović
Belgrade City Museum.

Town Museum of Vrsac.
''Decorating of the Bride'' (1885) by Paja Jovanovic
National Museum Belgrade.
''Rooster Fight'' (1897) by Paja Jovanovic
National Museum Belgrade.
''Greek Soldiers with a Woman Traitor'' by Paja Jovanovic
BBC arts.
Greek Ballad by Paja Jovanovic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jovanovic, Paja 1859 births 1957 deaths People from Vršac Serbs of Vojvodina Realist painters Serbian painters Eastern Orthodox Christians from Serbia Serbian people of French descent Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni 19th-century Serbian people 20th-century Serbian people Members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery Orientalist painters Painters from Austria-Hungary