Image six. Stepan Dusan was an important military leader who took advantage of the fall of the Byzantine Empire and expanded the Slavic territories to the south. In 1346 he was crowned tsar in Serbia and Greece. In this position he enforced a new code of law that spread throughout the then Roman Empire. The painting shows the procession of the people after the royal coronation. It is led by young Slavic girls in their original costumes. They seem to cover the elders with the Tsar's sword and crown behind them. This is meant to symbolize the hope of the future hidden in youth. The Tsar himself is then depicted in the centre of the painting, surrounded by his suite holding onto his red cloak.
The sixth painting of the Slav Epic is one of those parts of Mucha's monumental cycle that combine historical grandeur with a profound moral message. Alfons Mucha does not merely create an illustration of the past, but a magnificent commentary on the spiritual power of the Slavic world, its hopes, sacrifices and responsibility towards future generations.
The central figure of the painting is Stephen Dušan, an extraordinary military leader and statesman who managed to take advantage of the weakening of Byzantium and expand Slavic territories deep into southern Europe. His coronation as tsar in 1346 is not depicted here as a triumph of personal power, but as a moment of historical change – a moment when the Slavic world found itself at the peak of its political and cultural influence. Dušan's empire, whose legal system extended to the borders of the Holy Roman Empire, is presented here as a civilisational project, not just a military entity.
However, Mucha ingeniously diverts the viewer's attention away from the monarch himself. The coronation procession is led by young Slavic girls in traditional costumes – pure, calm and dignified. Their figures form a delicate but significant counterbalance to the heavy symbols of power carried by the elders with swords and crowns.
It is precisely this contrast that conveys the main message of the painting: the true strength of a nation lies not in iron or crowns, but in the continuity of life, in youth and in the preservation of spiritual values. The tsar himself, placed at the centre of the composition, is surrounded by his entourage, who literally cling to his red cloak. This detail has a symbolic effect – as if power were shared, fragile and dependent on the loyalty and faith of those who surround him. Here, Dušan is not a lonely ruler, but the centre of a complex state organism.
This pictorial scene is thus a celebration not only of historical greatness, but above all of the idea of hope. Mucha reminds us that even in times of greatest glory, nations must think about the future, which is personified by youth walking at the forefront of history. This painting therefore does not come across as a cold relic of the past, but as a lively, still relevant appeal for responsibility, cohesion and faith in the spiritual strength of the Slavic world. Reference to the fifth painting. More here
Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-chief, General News
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