Pavle Vasić as a Costume Historian

Abstract

Written on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of Pavle Vasić (1907–1993), who was a painter, art historian, art critic, and university professor, this paper deals with an important area of his professional interest – the history of dress (costume). Vasić contributed to the establishment and development of this discipline as a professor at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade and as an author of numerous books and papers. Through selected publications from Vasić’s rich oeuvre, this paper maps the dress history topics he dealt with during his academic career, revaluing at the same time his method, with a particular emphasis on systematization and interpretation of facts related to dress in Serbia and Western Balkans during the early modern and modern period. Vasić is the author of the first costume history book written in Serbian language. It was first published in 1964 under the title Odelo i oružje [Dress and Arms]. In the book, he addresses not just the artists – costume designers, but also the researchers – costume historians. He also presents the methodological approach related not just to the dress studies, but also to the reading of dress represented in visual arts. One of many research topics that raised Vasić’s interest was early modern Western costume albums. His research of the albums was focused on the representations of Yugoslavians, while his approach to the subject is visible in his paper Novi izvori za staru jugoslovensku nošnju [Nouvelles sources pour l’étude de l’ancien costume Yougoslave] published in 1962 in the Journal (Museum of Applied Art). One of the most important Vasić’s contributions to dress history in Serbia, his research of early modern and modern dress of the Serbs, especially the dress worn in the times of Serbian uprisings in the early 19th century, is also taken into account. His study Srpska nošnja za vreme Prvog ustanka [Le costume Serbe pendant la Revolution 1804–1815] published in 1954 in the Istorijski glasnik shows his approach based on continuity and recognition of different cultural models. This paper doesn’t include a comprehensive bibliography or cover all the topics in the field of dress history to which Pavle Vasić contributed. In the light of visual culture studies, through selected topics and publications, the paper aims to point out the scientific value of Vasić’s work as a clothing historian, but also his founding role in this discipline. Vasić’s publications in the field of clothing history have remained an indispensable starting point for further research. In addition to the appreciation of his pioneering scientific results, the reason for this certainly lies in the methodological approach, which, in many of its segments, is still relevant today.