Milić od Mačve

Milić od Mačve in 1990

Milić Stanković, known by his artistic name Milić of Mačva (Serbian: Милић од Мачве, Milić od Mačve; 30 October 1934 – 8 December 2000), was a Serbian painter and artist often named Balkan's Dali for his figurative surrealism paintings.

Stanković was born in 1934 in Belotić, Kingdom of Yugoslavia. When he was in second grade at highschool in Šabac town, a professor of drawing Djordje Kostic, a French student, was set, coming to Šabac from the demolished Belgrade in Nazi bombardment. Immediately, in the basement of the high school, the art section was founded . The professor had a special ability of perceiving painting gifted children. Extraordinary one was Milić. Yet as a highschool student he participated at painting exhibition in the town.

Because of poverty, his parents decided for him to attend the Military Academy in Belgrade. There Milic was received, but at the last moment, he managed to convince parents that architecture is better for him and more promising for the future. Young Milich had only the talent and good will, and now it became important to for him to remain in the capital of Belgrade. Among others, at the Architecture, he was taught by an extraordinary draftsman - Pivo Karamatijević.

The first year, he lived in the Students' City, New Belgrade. Architectural studies began with a lot of will and enthusiasm.

In the fall of 1953 began Milić’s socializing with the family of Djordje Kadijevic, Belgrade residents.

Milic and Djordje were constantly fantasizing about painting. Yet the next zear, Milic passed the entrance exam at the Academy of Fine Arts, in contrast to Kadijevic, who did not pass it.

He received support from his mother Desanka for admission to the Academy, and he was especially encouraged by the highschool classmate Vlada Lalicki, from Sabac. Later, as an extra gifted student, he received a scholarship. Milić graduated from the Belgrade Academy of Arts in 1959. At the Belgrade's Academy of Fine Arts, he studied in the class of professor Kosta Hakman, and after his death, with professor Ljubica Cuca Sokić. On his first solo exhibition, a famous collector Herbert Beck from Geneva, bought seven of his paintings for 770,000 dinars. It was, and at that time, a significant amount of money. He was very prolific painter. It was his characteristic to have painted very quickly. It is noted that, until February 2000, he painted around 7,500 paintings, more than 13,000 graphics and hundreds of icons and frescoes. By his works he defended the Serbian tradition from oblivion and distortion.

He died in 2000 in Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.