The foundation “For the Serbian People and State” has returned to Serbia a valuable work of art by one of the most important Serbian painters, Pavle Paja Jovanović. It is a portrait of King Aleksandar Karađorđević painted after 1920, which was bought by the Foundation at an auction in the internationally renowned house “Dorotheum”.
The portrait is characteristic because it was painted by black chalk on paper, which is an unusual approach in the oeuvre of this great Serbian painter. The portrait with the dimensions 20×15.2 cm and the painter’s monogram was previously in a private collection.
In agreement with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, led by Minister Nikola Selaković, the foundation “For the Serbian People and State” has donated this work of art to the Museum of Yugoslavia, where it will be part of the permanent exhibition.
Serbian public could see this work of art for the first time at a formal exhibition in the Museum dedicated to King Aleksandar Karađorđević. The exhibition was held in Belgrade last night under the sponsorship of the President of the Republic of Serbia and attended by Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković, Crown Prince Aleksandar II Karađorđević, Heir Apparent Prince Filip Karađorđević and many other guests from the world of culture and art.
“The fact that this is the first exhibition organized by the Museum of Yugoslavia in honour of King Aleksandar, the first comprehensive one since 1945, shows the extent to which we have not been able as a nation, society and state to understand his personality”, said Minister of Culture Nikola Selaković.
The portrait donated to our institution is yet another step in the years-long striving of the Foundation to preserve and promote Serbian cultural heritage, with the aim of returning and keeping the most important works of art in Serbia.”
“If we as a nation failed to give credit to a ruler, army leader and hero in the 20th century, then it is definitely and undoubtedly King Aleksandar I Karađorđević. If someone has been cruelly deleted by the communist eraser, it was definitely him. They have washed not only our brains but also our textbooks, our souls and hearts, trying to make a hole, a vacuum, because of what we are, in order to dispute our statehood, spirituality and liberation spirit”, concluded Prime Minister Miloš Vučević.
