The Fresco Gallery in Belgrade displays more than 1,300 copies of major frescoes, architectural decorations and gravestones created in the Serbian state from the 11th to the 15th Centuries.This period is considered to be the “golden age” of fresco painting in Serbia. It was a time when our country produced some of the greatest masterpieces of European art.
Here you can see copies of frescoes from different eras and different monasteries side by side in one place, providing you with an accurate insight into the development of fresco painting in these parts.
Fresco painting in Serbia was at its peak in the 13th Century, with the walls of the monasteries of Studenica and Sopoćani painted with some of the most beautiful frescoes not only in Serbia, but in the whole world. The fresco “Dormition of the Mother of God” in the monastery of Sopoćani was named the most beautiful medieval fresco at an exhibition in Paris in 1961, while several medieval monasteries have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to the exquisite beauty and pricelessness of their frescoes.
To be as faithful to the originals as possible, the frescoes are replicated in their original size and colours, as well as with all the damage they have sustained over time. These copies are a testament of the current state of the artworks for future generations. Indeed, some of the copies are the only surviving records of the appearance of frescoes, mouldings, decorations and tombstones that have been lost to the ravages of war or natural disasters.
Info: Fresco Gallery