Olga Smederevac
Lived: 1891 – 1973
Field to which she contributed: Arts
Area on the route primarily associated with her: Pančevo
Address of the attraction: Vojvode Živojina Mišića 1, Pančevo
Contributions to culture and science:
Olga Smederevac, born Aleksić, was a benefactor, collector and custodian of art, patron of many artists, with whom she kept close connections.
Short biography:
On July 28, 1891, she was born in the prominent family of merchants – Aleksić. Olga graduated from the Serbian Girls’ High School and was a student of Isidora Sekulić. She was fluent in French, German, Hungarian and Russian and played the piano. Olga married for the first time at the age of 17. She soon remarried Baron Batori, who was much older than her, but the marriage was dissolved quickly by agreement. Her third marriage was to Stevan Smederevac in 1914. The two stayed together for the rest of their lives. Olga was the founder of the “institution” known as the Salon of Olga Smederevac. The salon walls boasted the works of leading painters of the interwar period. Apart from painters, composers and writers also visited the salon. After the war, Olga withdrew from public life, not fitting into the newly formed society. Olga died in 1973 at the age of 82 in Pančevo in the house where she was born.
Interesting facts (Storytelling):
In the salon of Olga Smederevac, everyone observed a strict protocol from entering the salon with greetings, kissing hands, to giving compliments. After the protocol, everyone got their place in the salon and was served an elaborate and abundant meal. Everything looked very elegant. The salon was furnished in Louis XIV style. There was an artistic hand-carved wooden chess table with figures, stylish showcases full of silver and porcelain, shelves full of books. The guests discussed arts and exchanged ideas. It was a completely different world.