In 1895, at the Patriarchal Court in Sremski Karlovci, Paja Jovanović was commissioned to depict the most significant event in the history of the Serbs living across the Sava and Danube Rivers in southern Hungary—the Great Migration of the Serbs in 1690. The idea for this painting came from Serbian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Karlovci, Georgije Branković, who intended to present the work at the Millennium Exhibition, celebrating the thousand-year anniversary of the arrival of the Hungarians in the Pannonian Plain and the establishment of the Hungarian state. However, Jovanović’s Migration of the Serbs never made it to the Hungarian capital. Why? Read on to find out.
When History Was Written Through Art
Patriarch Branković’s motivation for commissioning this painting was inspired by The Arrival of the Hungarians (1893), a work by Hungarian artist Mihály Munkácsy, which he saw in Budapest in 1894. In the years leading up to the millennium celebration of the Hungarian tribes’ settlement, grand buildings were erected, historical artifacts were gathered, and large-scale paintings were commissioned—all with the goal of commemorating the national jubilee in a dignified manner.
Munkácsy’s painting was originally intended to be placed in the newly built Hungarian Parliament, which was still under construction at the time. However, the Hungarian government was dissatisfied with the artwork and requested modifications. Specifically, they wanted Munkácsy to depict Árpád, the leader of the Hungarian migration, riding a horse as he approached a subjugated Slavic population gathered around him.
Mihalj Munkači, Arrival of the Hungarians , 1893.
Like The Arrival of the Hungarians, The Migration of the Serbs was meant to use a historical scene to comment on the present and, even more importantly, to predict the future. The entire Millennium celebration carried this symbolic weight. It was during this time that the now-iconic Millennium Tower was erected on Gardoš in Zemun, as part of Hungary’s effort to portray itself as the dominant nation, asserting its exclusive political right to rule over the Kingdom of Hungary—even though Hungarians made up only 40% of the population. The remaining 60% included Romanians, Serbs, Croats, Germans, and others.
By the late 19th century, the position of Serbs in Hungary had become increasingly precarious. From the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 until the outbreak of World War I, the policy of Magyarization intensified. To make matters worse, a divide emerged between Serbian church and civic authorities, creating an atmosphere of complete uncertainty. Amidst this political landscape, art became a medium for ideological discourse, and The Migration of the Serbs was conceived as a direct response to The Arrival of the Hungarians.
Patriarch Georgije Branković’s request was straightforward: the painting was to depict the Serbs entering Hungarian territory at the invitation of Emperor Leopold I as an organized community of around 37,000 families (although debates over the exact number continue). The migration was driven by fear of Ottoman retaliation—Serbs had supported the Austrian army in its campaign deep into Ottoman-held Kosovo and Metohija, even reaching the area around the Patriarchate of Peć. Leopold I’s permission for Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević to lead his people into the neighboring empire, with promises of religious and educational autonomy, came with one major condition: Serbs were to serve as military defenders of the Habsburg Monarchy’s southern borders.
When Jovanović was commissioned to create the painting, he was assigned a “historical consultant”—Ilarion Ruvarac, a monk, historian, and staunch advocate of factual accuracy. Ruvarac was a pioneer of Rankean critical historiography in Serbia, which emphasized a rigorous approach to historical sources. Under his guidance, Jovanović spent months researching old garments, artifacts, and historical figures, visiting monasteries across Fruška Gora to ensure the painting was as authentic as possible.
However, Ruvarac’s interpretation of the 1690 migration was controversial. It challenged the politically favorable narrative that Serbs had crossed into Austrian territory at the invitation of the emperor, with guaranteed church and educational autonomy, rather than fleeing in fear of Ottoman reprisals. The Privileges granted to Serbs by Leopold I were crucial in their later political struggles with both the Habsburg court and the Hungarian Parliament. Yet, this political dimension was not sufficiently emphasized in Jovanović’s painting, which ultimately led to further debate and dissatisfaction with the final work.
Paja Jovanović, Migration of the Serbs, based on the first version from 1895.
What Did Paja Jovanović Actually Paint?
Jovanović worked on The Migration of the Serbs in his Vienna studio from October 1894 to July 1895. The completed painting was then sent to Sremski Karlovci, where it was displayed in the dining hall of the Patriarchal Court. Measuring 20 square meters, the massive canvas covered the entire southern wall of the room. The painting immediately drew admiration, and in Brankovo kolo, a contemporary observer described his awe:
“When we entered the dining hall, we stood before Paja Jovanović’s painting. This is that Migration of the Serbs, before which any historian must be satisfied, seeing a precisely understood event and faithfully depicted figures. This is that Migration, which must satisfy every Serb, for the artist has portrayed their ancestors not as ragged wanderers but as strength, as wealth. This is that painting that must satisfy every artist, for within it, they will find all the artistic elements represented with mastery.”
In its original version, the painting places Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević at the center, mounted on horseback, positioned slightly to the left. Next to him stands Bishop Isaija Đaković, who played a crucial role in negotiations with Emperor Leopold I. To the far left, a mounted figure represents Jovan Monasterlija, a Serbian sub-voivode of the Habsburg Monarchy. Behind him, a group of monks carries a reliquary with the remains of Prince Lazar, followed by a procession of cavalry soldiers.
On the right side of the painting, Monasterlija’s wife and child appear, drawing his gaze. The background is filled with Serbian families, their oxen and sheep prominently depicted in the foreground.
One of the most striking figures in the entire composition is a wounded, well-armed soldier, who appears to step out from the pictorial space, engaging directly with the viewer. Unlike him, who moves forward with urgency, the rest of the figures are absorbed in interactions with one another or within the unfolding events of the scene.
This painting marks the beginning of Jovanović’s period of historical compositions, which would later include works such as The Takovo Uprising and The Coronation of Emperor Dušan. Until then, his artistic focus had been on Orientalist scenes, such as The Adorning of the Bride, The Cockfight, and The Wounded Montenegrin.
With The Migration of the Serbs, Jovanović not only cemented his status as a master of historical painting but also contributed to the visual shaping of national memory—one that continues to resonate in Serbian culture today.
Paja Jovanović, Seoba Srba, first version.
Despite its artistic and historical merits, Patriarch Branković was dissatisfied with The Migration of the Serbs. In his view, the painting failed to serve its intended political function. The biggest issue was the impression of a refugee exodus, rather than that of a military force arriving at the emperor’s invitation to defend his empire from Ottoman enemies.
In response, Jovanović altered the composition. He erased the right section of the painting, removing the sheep, their herders, ox carts, women, and children, replacing them with soldiers. The figure of Monasterlija’s wife was replaced with a lavishly detailed cavalryman, making the entire canvas dominated by warriors. Bishop Isaija Đaković was given a document in his hands, symbolizing the Privileges granted by Leopold I. To make the adjustments even more politically relevant, Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević was given the likeness of the contemporary Patriarch Georgije Branković himself.
From a Controversial Painting to a Patriotic Icon
The appearance of the original version was preserved thanks to Petar Nikolić, a merchant and patriot from Zagreb, who obtained the right to reproduce and distribute prints of the first version as early as late 1895. Thanks to him, The Migration of the Serbs became widely known among the Serbian people. This, along with its artistic value, contributed to the painting’s rise as a cultural icon of Serbian history.
The revised composition is now housed in the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, where it serves as the meeting room for the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The version closest to the original is kept in the National Museum in Pančevo, while one of the last versions, painted by Jovanović in 1945, is stored in the National Museum of Serbia’s archives. However, this later version reflects the artist’s old age—his weakened eyesight and imprecise brushwork result in a more blurred and less detailed image.
This is one of those paintings that has accompanied us throughout our education—we’ve seen it in history textbooks, both in elementary and high school, and it has graced the covers of numerous books on Serbian history.
Was The Migration of the Serbs made famous by the controversies surrounding it, or did it earn its place through artistic and historical significance?
We vote for the latter.
