Title: The Takovo Uprising
Description: Takovski ustanak (English: The Takovo Uprising) is an oil painting by Paja Jovanović which depicts rebel leader Miloš Obrenović inciting his countrymen against the Turks and initiating the Second Serbian Uprising in 1815. The art historian Lilien Filipovitch-Robinson identifies it as one of Jovanović's finest works. Painted in 1888, the first version measures 125.5 by 190 centimetres (49.4 by 74.8 in). Prior to its creation, Jovanović studied authentic costumes and armaments from the time of the uprising, visited Takovo and sketched the church and large tree under which Obrenović incited the people. Jovanović also studied the facial features of locals and sketched them, and so some of their faces appear in the painting. Jovanović composed two versions, the first of which was displayed in 1889 and donated to the National Museum of Serbia by its original buyer, who had acquired the reproductive rights. Lithographic reproductions were soon made widely available, and distributed by the Serbian Ministry of Education in secondary schools, teachers' schools, and seminaries. Jovanović created a second, smaller version of the painting specially for Serbia's King Alexander in 1898.
Author(s): Paja Jovanović