Exhibition ’Vladimir R. Petković: Trailblazer in Profession and Scientific Inquiry

As part of the celebration of the Year of Academician Vladimir R. Petković (1874-1956), a historian and archaeologist, organized to mark 150 years of his birth, an exhibition authored by Dubravka Preradović and under the title ’Vladimir R. Petković: Trailblazer in Profession and Scientific Inquiry’ was opened at the SASA Gallery on Tuesday, 24 September.

For almost five decades—from acquiring a position at the National Museum following his return from schooling in Germany in 1905, until 1954, when he retired at the age of eighty from his role as the executive director of the Archaeological Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences—– Vladimir R. Petković worked constantly on establishing firm foundations of cultural, educational and scientific institutions, foundations laid on high-professional principals and he conducted systematic, scientifically based research of primarily medieval art.

The exhibition ’Vladimir R. Petković: Trailblazer in Profession and Scientific Inquiry’ is prepared through the cooperation between the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the National Museum of Serbia, two renowned, and concerning V. Petrović, most important institutions, in which he left an indelible mark. A part of his legacy, mainly field notebooks, manuscripts, and newspaper scraps, are housed at the National Museum. This exhibition also provides an opportunity to showcase the content of a collection of glass panels kept at the National Museum of Serbia, which was in Petković’s care for almost three decades and represents an important part of his scientific legacy. The exhibition also features publications from the ’Spomenici srpski’ edition, printed with the support of the Mihajlo Pupin Foundation.

Additionally, the public will have the chance to see previously unexhibited watercolours of the ornaments of the Dečani painting by Svetislav Strala, created in 1922 during a scientific excursion led by Petković, as well as a collection of watercolours made between 1906 and 1909 by Branko Tanazević, which depict his research into medieval churches and monasteries.

Although the initial findings on documents dealing with Petković’s life and work were particularly scarce, research motivated by this jubilee has yielded various new data, even surprising at times, such as the one that he wrote verses or the fact that despite his numerous obligations, he found time to be on the committee for the Most Beautiful Woman of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia Pageant with Branislav Nušić. Everything laid down so far indicates that with persistent searching, more information will likely emerge about the man who is finally receiving the long-deserved attention. Simultaneously, the research has highlighted the extent to which historiographical studies can provide an abundance of new and important data, demonstrating that much work in this field remains to be done.

Finally, all tireless begetters such as Vladimir R. Petković, sometimes forgotten or overseen, were at some time beacons guiding us through both life and professional dilemmas, reminding us of those unchanging universal values which are always needed in all times.

The exhibition will be on display until 8 December 2024.