„Национална уметност“ на Светској изложби у Риму 1911. године – уметност и политика

Abstract

The underlying idea of the study is the fact that the turbulent political history of the Balkans has often been a determinant factor in shaping its cultural history. The appearance of the Serbian state at the Universial Exhibition in Rome in 1911 is a remarkable example for such a statement. The very decision to take part was made only after two poltiical events: the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1908) and the offer made by a group of Croatian artists, subjects to the Hungarian Crown, to make their appearance in the Serbian Pavilion. Moreover, the emphasis in artistic conception and display arrangement was fully given to the so-called "national" art, represented by two cycles based on popular myths and legends of Kosovo and national hero Kraljević Marko. The urge to define and affirm national identity, a process reaching back to the 18th century, determined even purely esthetic interpretations of the works exhibited.