The National Museum

10-Aug-2024 • Belgrade Serbia

I love going to museums. Anywhere I go in the world, I try to visit some. It gives me a view of the culture and heritage of the people whose country I visit. While in Belgrade, we visited a few and we normally went middle of the day to also escape from the terrible heat that this region of Europe experiences in the summer time. We came here a couple of days after visiting the Historical Museum of Serbia.

Luckily for us, the prices of museum admission were very reasonable in Belgrade. The National Museum was also very centrally located. It was right on Republic Square opposite the National Theater. We spent a good two to three hours here visiting the exhibits over three floors. It was big. It offered a glimpse of Serbia's past through its artifacts, fossils, and paintings.

Given that the National Museum was on Republic Square, there were lots of cafes and restaurants nearby. Here was one directly in front of the museum.

A close up view of the Prince Mihailo Monument in Republic Square in front of the National Museum

The Coronation of Emperor Dusan, 1900, by Pavle Paja Jovanovic (1859-1957)

St. Nicholas, 1813, by Mihajlo Zivkoviv (1776-1825)

The Death of Prince MIlan, 1839 by Jovan Isajlovic (1803-1885)

Portraits of Madame Klajic and Mr. Klajic, 1820, by Pavel Durkovic (1772-1830)

St. Sava Blessing the Little Serbs, 1921 by Uros Predic (1857-1953)

Two Sisters, 1931 by Marie Laurencin (1883-1956)

La Place du Theater Francais by Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)

Portrait of the Artist's Wife Mounty in the Salon, after 1919, by Pavle Paja Jovanovic (1859-1957)

Fugitives from Herzegovina, 1889, by Uros Predic (1857-1953)

Portrait of Emilia von Kommeter by FRanz Eybol (1806-1880)

My most favorite exhibits here were the religious icons. I don't remember the exact number of rooms devoted to this type of art but I believe there were at least two. This wooden oil painting was just one of them. The entire collection made me want to have a collection myself. I got two from Bucharest, three from Sofia, and one from Belgrade. Had I had more space and luggage allowance, I would have gotten more.

I totally fell in love with the hand painted oil paintings. They were simply beautiful. Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and Child, St. Peter, St. John the Baptist, and many other saints were the predominant subjects of these religious icons.