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Description
Oil and gold leaf on wood, 50x70 cm.

King Stefan Uros III, called Stefan of Dechani (after the grand burial church he commissioned, Visoki Dechani monastery in southern Serbian province of Metohija). During his childhood, his father was forced to hand him over as a hostage to the Golden Horde. When he managed to escape his imprisonment, he was accepted as the royal heir upon his return to his father's court at Nerodimlje. However, after rumours started circulating that he will be replaced with another heir, he rose in rebellion. His father, the old and cunning king Stefan Milutin, feigned compassion upon defeating his rebellious son. He invited him to peace talks and then had him blinded and exiled to his own father in law, Eastern Roman emperor Andronikos II.

Upon his father's death, Stefan removed his blindfold and proclaimed himself king, winning in the ensuing civil war. He attributed his miraculous healing to divine intervention (although another theory states that archbishop Danilo bribed his jailers to spare his eyes).
Upon winning the throne, he crowned his son Stefan Dushan as the young king (royal heir). But then the history repeated itself. Spurred by rebelious nobles, Stefan Dushan rose against his father. He captured the old king and had him imprisoned in the fortress of Zvechan, where he died several months later (either of apoplexy, or assassinated by one of the nobles).

The stone ornaments I've painted are from Visoki Dechani, while the fortress in the background is Zvechan in southern Serbia.

In case you would like a print of Stannis, The Witcher, Tyryion Lannister or my historical portraits, please check my INPRNT shop!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/darko_s…

And you can follow me on instagram to see previews and WIPs of my art: www.instagram.com/darko_stojan…

Description
Oil and gold leaf on wood, 50x70 cm.

King Stefan Uros III, called Stefan of Dechani (after the grand burial church he commissioned, Visoki Dechani monastery in southern Serbian province of Metohija). During his childhood, his father was forced to hand him over as a hostage to the Golden Horde. When he managed to escape his imprisonment, he was accepted as the royal heir upon his return to his father's court at Nerodimlje. However, after rumours started circulating that he will be replaced with another heir, he rose in rebellion. His father, the old and cunning king Stefan Milutin, feigned compassion upon defeating his rebellious son. He invited him to peace talks and then had him blinded and exiled to his own father in law, Eastern Roman emperor Andronikos II.

Upon his father's death, Stefan removed his blindfold and proclaimed himself king, winning in the ensuing civil war. He attributed his miraculous healing to divine intervention (although another theory states that archbishop Danilo bribed his jailers to spare his eyes).
Upon winning the throne, he crowned his son Stefan Dushan as the young king (royal heir). But then the history repeated itself. Spurred by rebelious nobles, Stefan Dushan rose against his father. He captured the old king and had him imprisoned in the fortress of Zvechan, where he died several months later (either of apoplexy, or assassinated by one of the nobles).

The stone ornaments I've painted are from Visoki Dechani, while the fortress in the background is Zvechan in southern Serbia.

In case you would like a print of Stannis, The Witcher, Tyryion Lannister or my historical portraits, please check my INPRNT shop!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/darko_s…

And you can follow me on instagram to see previews and WIPs of my art: www.instagram.com/darko_stojan…