PAVLE BELJANSKI MEMORIAL COLLECTION

 Program PAVLE BELJANSKI MEMORIAL COLLECTION for SEPTEMBER.

PAVLE BELJANSKI MEMORIAL COLLECTION
Trg galerija 2, 21000 Novi Sad
Tel: +381 21 472 99 66; fax: +381 21 528 185
kontakt@pavle-beljanski.museum
www.pavle-beljanski.museum

Opening hours:
Wednesday – Sunday (except Thursdays): 10 am-6 pm
Thursdays: 1 pm-9 pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Entry is free of charge on Thursdays for individual visits.
An access ramp for wheelchair users can be put in place, but we request you give us advance notice if this is needed.
A professional guided tour is available by prior arrangement for individual or group visits, and lasts between 35 and 45 minutes.
The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection is named after its founder and benefactor Pavle Beljanski, a diplomat and passionate collector, who made a special agreement with the Vojvodina provincial government in November 1957 to bequeath his collection of artwork to the Serbian people, which included paintings, sculptures and tapestries. Until the end of his life he continued to build this significant collection which, at the final count, numbered 185 works by 37 artists. The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection was opened to the public on 22nd October 1961 in a new facility, purpose-built to the design of architect Iva Kurtović. Because of its significant architectural value, the building is also an important cultural property.
The Memorial Collection is made up of some of the most important works of Serbian art from the period between 1900 and 1970, with particular emphasis on the period between the two world wars. Chronologically speaking, the collection begins with paintings from the first generation of Modernists (Nadežda Petrović, Milan Milovanović, Kosta Miličević) and continues with works by the major exponents of Serbian art between the two world wars (Sava Šumanović, Milan Konjović, Petar Dobrović, Ivan Radović, Jovan Bijelić, Petar Lubarda, Sreten Stojanović, Risto Stijović), as well as work by artists from the latter half of the 20th century (Zora Petrović, Liza Križanić, Živko Stojsavljević, Milenko Šerban, Ljubica Sokić).
The Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection has a well-stocked library and extensive archive preserving sketches, pictures, letters, documents, photographs, video tapes and compact discs.
Besides art from the collection of Pavle Beljanski, the permanent collection consists of the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Hall and the Artists’ Memorial Hall.

Pavle Beljanski (born Veliko Gradište, 19th June 1892, died Belgrade 14th July 1965) was a lawyer and diplomat, a lover and connoisseur of art. Having gathered the most comprehensive collection of artwork by Serbian painters from the first half of the 20th century, he gave it to the Serbian people and became one of their greatest benefactors. He went to grammar school in Belgrade where he went on to study law. He completed the course of study but the war prevented him from taking his remaining exams and graduating, and he left for Paris. He graduated at the Sorbonne and began doctoral studies. He began his diplomatic career in Stockholm and continued it in Warsaw, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Rome and Belgrade. He spent time in the capitals of Europe between the two wars and had the opportunity to see some great works of art. He also met literary figures such as Jovan Dučić, Ivo Andrić, Rastko Petrović, Milutin Milanković, Veljko Petrović and Isidora Sekulić, as well as the artists whose works would feature in his collection: Milan Konjović, Kosta Hakman, Mile Milunović, Sreten Stojanović, Jefta Perić and Marin Tartalja. A passion for collecting was awakened in him, but although initially interested in European, especially Renaissance art, he realised that major works were out of his reach. During that period he spent time with young artists and began to turn towards modern art. Over the years, his collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries and sketches of then little-known authors grew into a unique collection of major works of art. Tragic circumstances – the death of seven members of his family during the bombing of Svilajnac in 1944, deprived Beljanski of the opportunity of sharing the beauty of his collection with those closest to him and so he decided to bequeath it to the Serbian people.