13. Salamanders” (1975) – Ljubodrag Janković Jale

Created in 1975, the oil painting “Salamanders” is part of the “Contemporaries” collection and represents one of Janković Jale’s most enigmatic works. The central composition is dominated by three monumental female figures, resembling priestesses or participants in a ritual ceremony. The women stand knee-deep in water, calm and motionless, reinforcing...

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  • Created in 1975, the oil painting “Salamanders” is part of the “Contemporaries” collection and represents one of Janković Jale’s most enigmatic works.
  • The central composition is dominated by three monumental female figures, resembling priestesses or participants in a ritual ceremony.
  • The women stand knee-deep in water, calm and motionless, reinforcing the painting’s ritualistic atmosphere.
  • Behind them rise bare tree trunks, adding to the sense of isolation and symbolic space.
  • Their gazes are directed upward, suggesting silent prayer or anticipation.
  • The figures are characterized by abundant forms, long slicked-back hair, pronounced cheekbones, and the absence of lips, which intensifies their mute presence.
  • In their hands they hold small, strange figures whose faces are reduced to open mouths, implying a scream, cry, or call.
  • The dominant green palette enhances the mystical tone, leaving the painting’s ultimate meaning deliberately unresolved.

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