RAGUSAN PAINTERS IN THE MEDIEVAL BOSNIAN STATE: FROM BANATE TO KINGDOM

Abstract

Abstract

This article investigates the activity of Dubrovnik painters in the medieval Bosnian state from the early 12th to the mid-15th century. By synthesizing archaeological findings with archival documentation, the study argues for a continuous artistic exchange that transcended shifting medieval borders. The analysis focuses on the stylistic layer of wall painting fragments from Panik near Bileća, identifying them as early evidence of Ragusan-Byzantine artistic currents in the region prior to its 14th-century integration into the Bosnian state. Furthermore, the paper offers a new chronological placement of the Olovo murals to the late 14th century and provides a comparative analysis of the high-quality Bobovac fragments, attributing them to elite Ragusan or Dalmatian workshops of the 15th century. The study also re-examines the panel painting Christ and the Donor, attributed to Lovro Dobričević, within this broader artistic framework. Its iconography and historical context suggest that the painting was commissioned by Bosnian Franciscan circles and possibly intended for the royal burial chapel at Bobovac. By examining the circulation of apprentices and the trade of specialized materials, such as the blue pigment azuro de Bosna, this paper demonstrates that Dubrovnik acted as a key artistic center whose painters and masters notably shaped medieval Bosnian artistic production. On the other hand, this research also repositions the Bosnian State, from its origins as a Banate to its peak as a Kingdom, as an active participant in the Mediterranean-Adriatic artistic network.