Uroš Knežević

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Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, oil technique, painter Uroš Knežević

Uroš Knežević (1811-1876) (Урош Кнежевић) was a Serbian painter who was crucial in establishing the foundation of art in Serbia. He was born on January 2, 1811 in Sremski Karlovci (province of Vojvodina, then Austrian Empire, now Serbia), of father Teodor and mother Julijana. Even though he spent most of his life in Serbia, there is very little information about his life.

[edit] Life

About his first years of education the artist himself wrote that he had enjoyed drawing even as a child and that he felt thoroughly devoted to that "wonderful art" of drawing. He first studied drawing at the Sremski Karlovci gymnasium (high school). He transfers from Vojvodina to Serbia in 1834, where he actively practices painting until 1844. His work was essential in introducing art to Serbia and educating the local population in art appreciation. During his time in Serbia he supported himself by painting portraits of the local nobility and prominent citizens. However, the local population was still quite unwelcoming of the art, and the portrait fees were often not paid. This made it difficult for Knežević to earn enough to support himself, let alone to save enough for his education in Vienna which he so passionately wanted. Even the royal family refused to pay for the many portraits, coats of arms and other symbols that Knežević made for them.

Finally, he found well-paying work in painting walls and icons for Belgrade churches. This enabled him to save enough to fulfill his dream of studying in Vienna. About his stay in Vienna he writes that it was a very happy time of his life, and he was the happiest when his work was recognized by being exhibited in the Viennese Art Exhibition of 1846. However, the Viennese Royal Art Academy does not even have a record of his name among the students. Some sources indicate that Knežević also painted the portraits of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić (Serbian linguist and reformer of the Serbian language responsible for the language's modern form) and his family.

He is by many considered the foremost Serbian portraitist of the nineteenth century. He died in 1876 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Note: adapted from Serbian Wikipedia