The Art Collection of the Museum in Bijelo Polje was formed at the very beginning of the institution’s work. The first items that entered the fund included photocopies of saints from the Miroslav Gospel, old engravings and studies of hands by the painter Lazović, portrait photographs of notable citizens of Bijelo Polje, works by local artists, and liturgical books. Although the initial fund consisted of only 21 items, it already provided valuable insight into the early development of art and culture in Bijelo Polje.
A special value of the collection is the set of copies of studies, drawings, and engravings by the renowned icon-painting Lazović family, artists from this region who left a strong mark on the artistic tradition of Montenegro and the wider area from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. Their legacy was continued by contemporary local artists, whose works—created in various techniques (oil, watercolor, tempera, pastel) and on different media—faithfully depict motifs from the cultural and historical heritage of Bijelo Polje.
The collection also includes copies of the Miroslav Gospel, the most significant monument of Slavic literacy from the 12th century, written precisely for the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Bijelo Polje.
Through the development of the fund and continuous professional work of the Museum, the Art Collection became the basis for the establishment of the important manifestation “Bijelo Polje Art Spring” and the International Art Meetings “Lazović Painters,” organized since 1993 and 2019, contributing to the continuous enrichment of the collection.
Structure of the collection
The Art Collection is divided into four thematic units:
- Artworks by local creators (mid-20th century)
- Copies and photocopies of well-known artworks
- Portraits of notable citizens of Bijelo Polje (early 20th century)
- Liturgical books (mid-19th century)
Due to its cultural and historical value, the Art Collection of the Museum in Bijelo Polje was entered in 1964 into the Register of Movable Cultural Monuments of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro and placed under legal protection.