The arrival of Emperor Dušan in Dubrovnik
Marko Murat
This painting by Marko Murat depicts the ceremonial entry of Emperor Dušan into Dubrovnik in 1350, a scene the artist chose to place in a school hall as a way of stirring patriotic feeling in the young king and promoting the idea of liberating and uniting the South Slavs. Murat painted it between 1899 and 1900 on his own initiative, funded partly by King Milan Obrenović and partly by himself. Around seventy figures fill the composition, and the artist lent his own facial features to the bearded canopy bearer on the right. The picture provoked fierce debate in Serbia. Božidar Nikolajević argued that the emperor was shown without the vigour expected of a ruler who had dominated the Balkans, and he objected to the crown and the colours. Simo Matavulj came to its defence, pointing to historical sources and archaeological research, while Miloje Vasić questioned whether a subject suited to history painting could be paired with modern painterly methods. After it was shown at the Serbian pavilion of the 1900 Paris World's Fair, where Murat received a bronze medal, the hostile criticism faded. It is now regarded as his best-known work.
- Painter
- Marko Murat
- Museum
- National Museum of Serbia, Belgrade