Nobility in Serbian Visual Culture of the 18th Century

The exhibition Nobility in Serbian Visual Culture of the 18^thCentury came about as the result of the doctoral dissertation and years of research by Dr. Aleksandra Čelovski, curator of the Gallery of Matica Srpska. The audience will be introduced to the life of the nobility gathered under the patronage of the Metropolitanate of Karlovci during the 18^th century through several thematic sections: As part of the representative public, Blue blood and virtue: Types of nobility, Education as a privilege, Patrons and benefactors, Family gallery: Marriage strategies of the nobility, Nobility and endowment. Through over 80 works of art, items, and archival materials, the exhibition examines the phenomenon of nobility from various perspectives, including the acquisition of noble status, adaptation of an individual’s personal identity to the demands of the representative public through portrait commissions, contributions to the Church and endowment activities, patronage of arts and culture, the construction of luxurious mansions and castles, and the selection of burial sites.