The first modern project of art and artistic ideology among Serbs was carried out by a woman, but at the time, it was seen as a transgression rather than a monumental achievement. Although her homeland did not understand her, the brave Nadežda Petrović moved forward with her intellect, created with her hands, and led with her determination and persistence. She expressed her personality and vibrant temperament both in her best paintings and on the battlefield. Today, Nadežda Petrović is the only woman whose image appears on Serbian dinar banknotes.
The first female war photographer, in a time when most women in Serbia were illiterate, traveled across Europe and gained a European education. In her only theatrical play, she emphasized: “We may all perish, but we must preserve our national monuments.” An academic painter, humanitarian, and war nurse, she organized exhibitions and art colonies, wrote critiques, gave speeches at patriotic gatherings, united people, and fought in wars. At the founding meeting of the “Circle of Serbian Sisters,” she addressed those present with the following words:
“What does the fury of Turkish decay want from us, and what does Europe, which exploits millions of its own workers for the benefit of the wealthy and the aristocracy, want? Can we hope that enlightened Europe will help us? Does it care about a few million Serbs and other Slavs? Let us shake off old neglect, break the chains of apathy, and rally together. Let us embrace the common cause as our own! Let us swear to uphold this society and its patriotic purpose as long as a single Serbian woman remains!”
The Petrović Household
The Petrović family lived in Belgrade, and their house was a gathering place for the cultural and artistic elite. In the home of Dimitrije Petrović, a famous collector of historical documents, and his wife Mileva, many intellectuals of the time often met and talked—Nušić, Dis, Jovan Skerlić, Gavrilo Princip, Gaćinović, and Žerajić, who would go on to change world history.
The family had thirteen children, the most famous of whom were the poet Rastko Petrović and the painter Nadežda Petrović. Their father, who had once aspired to be a painter, made every effort to nurture his children’s talents, allowing them to draw, write, and study music. Two sisters became painters, and one became a musician.
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Education
Nadežda Petrović studied in Belgrade and Munich and spent time in Paris. She traveled throughout Europe and visited various parts of Serbia.
In Munich, she studied painting under Anton Ažbe, where she encountered a different approach to painting techniques. Ažbe taught that drawing, color, and composition could not be separated and that painting problems should be resolved through color. His technique emphasized broad, free brushstrokes. She also had her first experience painting outdoors under his guidance.
At Ažbe’s studio, she associated with Yugoslav artists Vasily Kandinsky and Alexej Jawlensky. She was particularly influenced by her friendships with Ivan Meštrović, Miroslav Kraljević, and others.
This group of young Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian artists would later organize the first joint exhibitions with a Yugoslav orientation. During her stay in Munich, she learned German, Russian, and French.
Talent
Her first and only solo exhibition was held in Belgrade on August 25, 1900. It was met with ridicule and misunderstanding. Critics acknowledged her talent to some extent but were ruthless regarding the innovations she introduced to painting. One critic even described her impressionistic paintings as “the sick, rotten minds.”
On one side, Ivan Cankar claimed that “the young lady has no taste,” while on the other, Bogdan Popović defended her, stating that she had artistic talent and ambition. However, the few positive reviews could not sway the cultural public of Serbia at the time, especially the prevailing conservative and intolerant art critics.
Her style was personal, experimental, and complex, and art historians have described her orientation toward the stylistic trends of the time in various ways.
She spent time in Paris in 1910, working in Ivan Meštrović’s studio. There, she met Matisse, Picasso, and Rodin. Under their influence, her painting style changed. Critics wrote that she reached full artistic maturity after returning to her homeland, traveling throughout Serbia between 1903 and 1910. During this period, she created her most significant works: Resnik, Forest, Barge on the Sava, Ada Ciganlija, and others.
The deeper she ventured into Serbia, the more she freed herself from foreign influences, becoming increasingly independent as a painter.
Her time in Paris exposed her to modern artistic movements, introducing new elements into her style, which some associated with Fauvism. Paintings from this period include Girl in the Boulogne Forest, Boulogne Forest, and two paintings of Notre Dame Cathedral—some of her purest and most successful works.
During the war, she created paintings that conveyed the horrors of war more intensely than those of other artists. Works such as Kosovo Peonies, Gračanica, and Valjevo Hospital fully expressed her personality and passionate temperament through agitated landscapes, dynamic brushwork, and vibrant colors, particularly the burning reds and their complementary greens.
Struggle
Nadežda Petrović returned to Belgrade at a turbulent moment in Serbian history, when the downfall of King Alexander and Queen Draga was imminent. Some sources indicate that her father, Mita Petrović, was suddenly forced into retirement because he had angered King Alexander by refusing to write a biography of Queen Draga, which was supposed to establish her noble lineage.
At the same time, Nadežda Petrović was politically active, responding to societal changes and fervently calling for weapons to be sent from Serbia to support the insurgents in Kruševo.
With the help of Branislav Nušić, she founded the Circle of Serbian Sisters and, as the society’s secretary, embarked on a military mission. During the centennial celebration of the First Serbian Uprising, she organized the first art exhibition, opened by King Peter, featuring 458 works by 96 artists from Yugoslav lands and Bulgaria.
She later founded the Association of Serbian Artists Lada and the First Yugoslav Art Colony in Sićevo. She established the League for the National Rights of Oppressed Women and the Committee of Serbian Women. She worked as an art teacher and petitioned the Minister of Education to improve her official status, citing her 16 years of service without a pay raise.
In 1908, as mass demonstrations erupted in Belgrade, she left school with her students to join the protests. When she appeared on the balcony of the National Theater, she was met with a standing ovation. It was during this time that she earned the nickname “Yugoslavian Nada.” She continuously called for the people to resist Austrian tyranny and fight for freedom.
The Balkan Wars and World War I
During the Balkan Wars, she volunteered as a nurse on the front lines. In a letter, she wrote:
“We live here amid the constant cries of the wounded, dressing their wounds, hearing the cheers of our heroic army, sending them off to battle and welcoming them back wounded to care for them. And yet, they all go with enthusiasm, and the Turks are losing battles—our victory is near. Our soldiers feel like brothers to me, and their cries of ‘Sister, sister!’ truly touch me and make me proud to be of service.”
During World War I, she joined the Dunav Division as a volunteer nurse and witnessed the immense suffering of the Serbian people. She was deeply shaken by the Battle of Mačkov Kamen, describing it as the most harrowing experience of her life.
After Serbia’s victories at Cer and Kolubara, she returned to Valjevo, despite pleas from her family to stay safe. Valjevo was overwhelmed by a typhus epidemic, and in March 1915, she contracted the disease while working as a nurse. She died on April 3, 1915.
Nadežda Petrović looked to the future with open eyes. Life was not kind to her, but her contributions to Serbian culture and education remain immense.
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Source: Ilijana Božić za Impuls; Foto: Nadežda Petrović / Wikimedia Creative Commons