Typology of public figural sculpture in the Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1914)

Abstract

Based on its thematic and conceptual content, public figurative sculpture in the Kingdom of Serbia falls into several mutually intertwining categories: monarchical, civic and nationalistic. The birth of the public figurative sculpture coincided with the establishment of the Serbian kingdom, which is the reason behind its emancipatory character. A favourable political setting provided a fruitful ground for placing figurative sculptures in public spaces. Figurative historical characters, allegorical personifications and symbolic figures suggested wider conceptual, cultural and social frameworks of the time in the communication system of the Serbian public. Commemorative function of the figurative sculpture is placed in an active dialogue with the latest social strategies and the representative culture during the last decades of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

Keywords

• figurative sculpture
• sculpture typology
• kingdom of serbia
• public space
• đorđe jovanović
• petar ubavkić