Milena Pavlović Barili je bila slikarka i jedna od naših predstavnika nadrealizma između dva svetska rata.
Nakon završene beogradske Umetničke škole, studirala je slikarstvo u Minhenu. Studirala je u klasi poznatog nemačkog slikara Franca Štuka, koja je bila smatrana elitnom. Milena je bila prva devojka koja je uspela da se upiše na Štukovu klasu, tako što je svoje radove predala nepotpisane, a Štuk ih je ocenio kao izuzetne. Živela je u Rimu, Londonu, Parizu i Njujorku, u kojem je i umrla 1945. godine. Živela je skromno i bila je slabog zdravlja, pogotovo u mladosti kada je imala i brojne operacije. Nosila je i majčino i očevo prezime.
U mnogim evropskim zemljama i gradovima Milena je imala sopstvene izložbe i bila je priznata i poštovana slikarka. Njena prva izložba u inostranstvu je održana u Londonu i bila je najavljena u čuvenom časopisu „Tajms“.
Milenin talenat i umetničke aspiracije su bile veće od Srbije, iz koje se kao mlada devojka seli sa velikom željom da postane međunarodno poznata. Ironično, iako široko priznata van granica domovine, u Srbiji je bila kritikovana i zamerane su joj besmislene stvari, poput te da ne živi ovde i da „ne pokazuje da je Srpkinja“, te da joj fali patriotizma u slikanju. Milenu su ove optužbe potresale, ali ih je smatrala besmislenim, jer nije mislila da svoj patriotizam treba da iskazuje kroz slike koje slika. Događaj koji ju je naterao da se zarekne da se više nikada neće vratiti je angažovanje od strane kraljice Marije da naslika njen portret i otkazivanje nakon tri meseca, uz obrazloženje da portret nije potreban (isplaćen joj je dogovoreni honorar, što je Milena shvatila kao ponižavanje). Nakon što se preselila u Ameriku slikala je portrete pripadnika daleko većih i poznatijih dinastija.
Milenin stil je odlikovala preciznost, linearnost, osećaj za prostor i poetična atmosfera. 1940. godine potpisuje stalan ugovor sa modnim magazinom „Vog“. Pored ovog slavnog časopisa, sarađivala je i sa magazinima „Harpers Bazaar“ i „Glamur“, između ostalih.
Milena Pavlović Barili was a painter and an exponent of surrealism between the World Wars.
After finishing Arts school in Belgrade she studied painting in Munich. Her professor was a famous German painter Franz Stuck and his class was considered to be an elite one. Milena was the first female to ever enroll to Stuck’s class, because she handed her work unsigned and Stuck assessed them as exceptional. Milena lived in Rome, London, Paris and New York, in which she passed away in 1945. She lived a modest life and had a poor health throughout her life. She kept both of her parents’ surnames.
In many European cities she had her own exhibitions and she was recognized and respected painter. Her first foreign exhibition was held in London and was announced in “Times” magazine.
Milena’s talent and aspirations were bigger than her native country Serbia from which she haad moved out to pursue international career. Ironically, although she had accomplished that, in Serbia she was criticized for absurd reasons, such as “not living in Serbia” and that her paintings lack patriotism. Milena was shaken by these accusations, but thought of them as senseless. One situation, however, made her vow to never come back again. She was hired to do queen Marija’s portrait, which was cancelled after 3 months with an explanation that it was not needed, but her fee was paid – which Milena took as an insult. After moving to America, she did portraits of members of many other, more notable dynasties.
The characteristics of Milena’s painting style were precision, linearity, sense of space and a poetic atmosphere. In 1940. She had signed a permanent contract with famous fashion magazine “Vogue”. Apart from “Vogue” she cooperated with “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Glamour”, to name a few.