Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović
2019
Аутори
Borozan, IgorОстала ауторства
Damjanović, DraganMagaš Bilandžić, Lovorka
Miklošević, Željka
Walton, Jeremy F.
Конференцијски прилог (Објављена верзија)
Метаподаци
Приказ свих података о документуАпстракт
The famous 1787 portrait of Marie Antoinette with children and an empty cradle by Elisabeth
Louise Vigée-Lebrun represents an example of visual manipulation in the service of dynastic
propaganda. The image of the empty cradle is a reference to the Queen’s late daughter,
and thus it implies issues of politics, culture and gender in the late 18th century in which
sentimental female education leads to the typical role of women within the reproductive
process of the dynasty’s sustainability. This canonical case indirectly refers to the situation that
shook the Serbian monarchy at the turn of the 20th century. In 1900, a case of false pregnancy
of Queen Draga Obrenović was revealed. The unpopular female ruler and the lineage without
an heir created a highly tense environment in which the continuation of the dynastic family
tree was taken as the only way to overcome the political instability. At the same time, the
Queen sought to link her biological sex category to the social deter...mination (gender) within
the fixed cult of motherhood. The entire community was mobilized through donations
of festive cradles to the ruling couple, which became a means of ritual exchange of goods
between the monarchy and its subjects, as well as material evidence of dynastic continuity.
In accordance with the rules of appropriateness, several of the received cradles were lavishly
decorated, indicating symbolic importance of the artificial gift. The impressively decorated
crib by esteemed painter Beta Vukanović stood out in particular. The painted angels suggest
sentimental pietism of the period in which these heavenly beings were identified with children
and thus suggesting a codified role of mother within a strictly standardized patriarchal society.
Right after the official announcement concerning the Queen’s unsuccessful pregnancy on
May 18, 1901, the dynastic continuity of the Obrenovićs was brought into question. Having
lost their values, the cradles became undesirable remnants of the past and were eventually
destroyed, together with the other dynastic heritage, caused by the overthrow of the last
Obrenovićs in 1903.
Кључне речи:
уметност / политичка иконографија / Обреновићи / Queen Draga Obrenović / monarchy / cradles / ritual gift / cult of the motherИзвор:
Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings], 2019, 147-156Издавач:
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Финансирање / пројекти:
- Представе идентитета у уметности и вербално-визуелној култури новог доба (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-177001)
Институција/група
Istorija umetnosti / History of ArtTY - CONF AU - Borozan, Igor PY - 2019 UR - http://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6215 AB - The famous 1787 portrait of Marie Antoinette with children and an empty cradle by Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun represents an example of visual manipulation in the service of dynastic propaganda. The image of the empty cradle is a reference to the Queen’s late daughter, and thus it implies issues of politics, culture and gender in the late 18th century in which sentimental female education leads to the typical role of women within the reproductive process of the dynasty’s sustainability. This canonical case indirectly refers to the situation that shook the Serbian monarchy at the turn of the 20th century. In 1900, a case of false pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović was revealed. The unpopular female ruler and the lineage without an heir created a highly tense environment in which the continuation of the dynastic family tree was taken as the only way to overcome the political instability. At the same time, the Queen sought to link her biological sex category to the social determination (gender) within the fixed cult of motherhood. The entire community was mobilized through donations of festive cradles to the ruling couple, which became a means of ritual exchange of goods between the monarchy and its subjects, as well as material evidence of dynastic continuity. In accordance with the rules of appropriateness, several of the received cradles were lavishly decorated, indicating symbolic importance of the artificial gift. The impressively decorated crib by esteemed painter Beta Vukanović stood out in particular. The painted angels suggest sentimental pietism of the period in which these heavenly beings were identified with children and thus suggesting a codified role of mother within a strictly standardized patriarchal society. Right after the official announcement concerning the Queen’s unsuccessful pregnancy on May 18, 1901, the dynastic continuity of the Obrenovićs was brought into question. Having lost their values, the cradles became undesirable remnants of the past and were eventually destroyed, together with the other dynastic heritage, caused by the overthrow of the last Obrenovićs in 1903. PB - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb C3 - Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings] T1 - Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović EP - 156 SP - 147 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_6215 ER -
@conference{ editor = "Damjanović, Dragan, Magaš Bilandžić, Lovorka, Miklošević, Željka, Walton, Jeremy F.", author = "Borozan, Igor", year = "2019", abstract = "The famous 1787 portrait of Marie Antoinette with children and an empty cradle by Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun represents an example of visual manipulation in the service of dynastic propaganda. The image of the empty cradle is a reference to the Queen’s late daughter, and thus it implies issues of politics, culture and gender in the late 18th century in which sentimental female education leads to the typical role of women within the reproductive process of the dynasty’s sustainability. This canonical case indirectly refers to the situation that shook the Serbian monarchy at the turn of the 20th century. In 1900, a case of false pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović was revealed. The unpopular female ruler and the lineage without an heir created a highly tense environment in which the continuation of the dynastic family tree was taken as the only way to overcome the political instability. At the same time, the Queen sought to link her biological sex category to the social determination (gender) within the fixed cult of motherhood. The entire community was mobilized through donations of festive cradles to the ruling couple, which became a means of ritual exchange of goods between the monarchy and its subjects, as well as material evidence of dynastic continuity. In accordance with the rules of appropriateness, several of the received cradles were lavishly decorated, indicating symbolic importance of the artificial gift. The impressively decorated crib by esteemed painter Beta Vukanović stood out in particular. The painted angels suggest sentimental pietism of the period in which these heavenly beings were identified with children and thus suggesting a codified role of mother within a strictly standardized patriarchal society. Right after the official announcement concerning the Queen’s unsuccessful pregnancy on May 18, 1901, the dynastic continuity of the Obrenovićs was brought into question. Having lost their values, the cradles became undesirable remnants of the past and were eventually destroyed, together with the other dynastic heritage, caused by the overthrow of the last Obrenovićs in 1903.", publisher = "Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb", journal = "Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings]", title = "Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović", pages = "156-147", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_6215" }
Damjanović, D., Magaš Bilandžić, L., Miklošević, Ž., Walton, J. F.,& Borozan, I.. (2019). Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović. in Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings] Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb., 147-156. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_6215
Damjanović D, Magaš Bilandžić L, Miklošević Ž, Walton JF, Borozan I. Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović. in Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings]. 2019;:147-156. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_6215 .
Damjanović, Dragan, Magaš Bilandžić, Lovorka, Miklošević, Željka, Walton, Jeremy F., Borozan, Igor, "Between the Arts and Politics: Ritual Cradle Donation and the Case of False Pregnancy of Queen Draga Obrenović" in Art and politics in the modern period : [conference proceedings] (2019):147-156, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_reff_6215 .