Портрети Милице Стојадиновић Српкиње: креирање јавне слике књижевнице

Abstract

У време књижевног рада Милице Стојадиновић Српкиње, започето је и са промовисањем ауторке у јавности. У ту сврху настају њени графички портрети, као слике које су могле бити масовно дистрибуиране, како самостално тако и кроз периодичне листове, у садејству са текстуалним наративом о списатељки. Таква јавна промоција Милице Стојадиновић била је раритетан случај јавно презентоване слике жене, која је дошла као последица њених пријатељских веза у књижевним круговима. Књижевница је при томе заузимала позицију активног учесника у креирању своје јавне слике, дајући за њу директне сугестије и критике.

Milica Stojadinović Srpkinja was the first female author in 19th century Serbian literature who, overcoming patriarchal constraints, gained a certain reputation. Lithographic portraits of her were as well an exceptional occurrence at the time. Made for public use, portraits of Milica Stojadinović also represent a kind of a breakthrough into the men-dominated public sphere. Numerous lithographic portraits were circulating at the time, but only of individuals who stood out for their social importance, public function or profession. In such cultural practice, lithographic portrait of a woman was a rare case, except of the female members of the ruling house. Two of Milica’s lithographic portraits were made at the time of her writing, thanking to the friends from literary circle. First was made in 1851 by lithographer Anastas Jovanović. It was ordered and financed by Vuk Karadžić, the most prominent figure in literature, during Milica’s visit to his home in Vienna. The second portrait followed in 1862. Đorđe Rajković ordered it from the printing house of Ignjat Fuks from Novi Sad. It was then published in Rajković’s magazine Putnik, presenting the young woman writer to a wide audience. What particularly characterizes both portraits is that Milica Stojadinović actively participated in the creation process. She criticized and made suggestions for portraits, having her own vision of how she should be publicly presented. That was especially the case with the portrait in Putnik, whose printing she strongly opposed in the end. It is paradoxical that the same portrait gained the most popularity in later times. Mostly forgotten after her writing stopped, Milica Stojadinović died in poverty. The memory of her was restored in the beginning of the 20th century, mostly by the circles of women’s writers and female charity organizations. As part of their campaign, the portrait of Milica was popularized through postcards. The same was used as a model for the Milica Stojadinović memorial bust. Thanking to the women’s associations, it was also the first public monument dedicated to a woman.