The painting The Takovo Uprising – the work of our matchless master of historical painting Paja Jovanović – is the property of the National Museum in Belgrade. However, as it is a part of the permanent exhibition of the Second Serbian Uprising Museum in Takovo since its founding, it has become the inseparable and the most recognisable exhibit of our institution.  

It was made following the order of King Milan Obrenović who was abdicating as well as the Minister of Education. It was displayed for the first time in the photo studio of Paja’s brother Milan Jovanović in 1895, but it was registered as the work of art for “the private gallery of His Majesty” King Alexander. That was the first bigger version of this painting, and the second smaller one was painted in 1898. Having come from Vienna, while he was preparing for the painting process, Paja Jovanović spent most of his time in Takovo and its surroundings sketching people’s physiognomy, their clothes, weapons… He captured the moment in front of the church in Takovo, when archimandrite Melentije Pavlović gave his blessing to duke Miloš Obrenović while the latter was giving the flag to Sima Paštrmac and the people were giving oath with their raised sabres, guns and three fingers. The artist allowed himself the freedom to bring three real events together in one place – handing over the flag to Sima Paštrmac in front of Miloš’s house in Crnuća, the declaration of staging the uprising in front of Takovo log cabin church, and the assembly in front of the one-hundred-year-old oak tree in the valley of the river Dičina.

A little bit further away from the central group of people, old Milutin Garašanin is painted clothed in a “fine suit made of stout peasant cloth” with a sabre in his hand. Vule Gligorijević with a serious look on his face is standing in front of him, and behind Garašanin, there is Luka Vukomanović wearing wide-sleeved shirt, with a gun at his belt and a sabre in his hand. On the left-hand side of Sima Štrmac, one can see Vukomanović, and on the right Nikola Lunjevica. Duke Milić Drinčić, who is standing next to Lunjevica, raised his hand, while Jovan Obrenović can be found in the very corner of the painting wearing turbanned fez on his head and flamboyant garment.  

There is also Lazar Mutap, Prince Vasilije from Beršići, Toma Vučić-Perišić and many other participants of “Takovo Assembly” – the famous moment when Serbian people led by Miloš Obrenović rose against the Ottoman Empire for the second time since the beginning of the XIX century. However, this time they managed to gain their long-desired freedom back…