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Old Masters and Classical Bulgarian Art (19th century)
The 19th century was one of the most complex periods in the Bulgarian
history,
and its
artistic heritage pursued rapid and profound changes in all areas. During
the 19th
century,
art transitioned from the traditions of the Bulgarian religious art and the
inherent
emergence
of the easel portrait (the main genre in the period of National Revival), to
the
dawn of
Modernity and the beginning of the influence of the European Schools of
Art.
The most important artists to be mentioned are: Zahari Zograf, Dimitar
Dobrovich,
Stanislav
Dospevski, Nikolay Pavlovich, Georgi Danchov, Hristo Tsokev.
Modern Bulgarian Art (20th century)
Modernism comprises the most liquid Bulgarian artists and the most
valuable
paintings,
sculptures and graphic works of the end of the 19th century and of the first
half of
the
20th century.
The opening of the first State Arts School – later Academy of Arts – in
Sofia in
1896
and the Society for Support of Art in Bulgaria in 1894, were some of the
most
significant
events that will change and develop the Bulgarian Artistic Life in the 20th
century.
The first professors at the State Arts School, Jan Václav (Ivan) Mrkvička,
Anton
Mitov,
Boris Schatz, Jaroslav Věšín, Ivan Angelov, Zheko Spiridonov, were educated
in
Munich or Florence.
They shaped the artistic scene, explored new and personal areas of interest
closer
to
the style and subjects of the Modern European Art Schools and laid the
foundation
for
later artists such as Vladimir Dimitrov, Tsanko Lavrenov, Zlatyo Boyadjiev
and Ilya
Petrov.
Subsequent generations of artists such as Nikola Petrov, Atanas Mihov, Elena
Karamihaylova,
Alexander Mutafov opposed the classical realism of their teachers, paving
the way
for Bulgarian
art to absorb modern European influences originating from Impressionism,
Symbolism
and Secession.
Post-war and Contemporary Art
Artmark grants special attention to the Post-war and Contemporary Art
auctions
and their
investment potential, as it supports living artists and contemporary
creativity,
while believes
that we all should take a proud interest in the art of our times.
After World War II, Socialist Realism dominated Bulgarian artistic circles.
Its
influence
was seen in the broad historical themes that were adopted by artists in
genres
ranging from
still-life paintings or portraits to regional landscapes, glorifying the
working
classes
and the feasts of the partisan movement.
In 1961, the First Youth Exhibition saw the emergence of a new generation of
artists.
A wave of bright, creative artists was settling into the art scene, who
would change
the
way Bulgarian art was perceived internationally: Georgi Baev, Kalina Taseva,
Svetlin
Rusev,
Stefan Gatsev, Ioan Leviev and others.
The interest in Contemporary Art has grown over the years, while important
international
auction houses included Bulgarian artists in their sale events.
European Art, Prints & Multiples
Artmark’s European Art, Prints and Multiples events offer the very best
examples
of
works from schools and movements ranging from Orientalism to Barbizon,
and from
Academic to Contemporary. Our team will source the finest examples from
Bulgaria,
Eastern or Western Europe to prepare highly curated auctions.
Collectibles
Our department covers all aspects of the historical and documentary
collecting
fields and includes a vast array of items, with a focus on the Bulgarian
royalty
related collectibles, like signed photographs or royal wedding
memorabilia,
but also jewelry, letters, documents and decrees, swords and militaria,
maps
and flags, as well as other historical artifacts from the Bulgarian
monarchy
period (1887-1946).
Decorative Art and Jewelry
For collectors of decorative art and jewelry, Artmark offers for sale a
large
array
of art pieces, European and Oriental china collections, silverware, or
valuable
items made of glass, manually woven carpets, ornamental statuettes,
small-size
fine furniture, as well as vintage or contemporary design jewelry.
Religious Art
Religious art includes a vast array of items, from paintings and
sculptures
to personal or sacred ceremonial objects. The importance of this subject
in
the Bulgarian History and Culture has led to the emergence of periodic sales
events
dedicated to this distinctive topic, which includes sacred, ceremonial
objects
such as: icons on wood, manuscripts, print-work, or silverware and
metalwork.
Evaluation
Department
Old Masters and Classical Croatian Art (19th century)
From the beginning of the 19th century, Croatian Art and Culture flourished
as it
gave us
the first local artists (e.g., Vjekoslav Karas) that paved the way for the
emerging artists
that are now considered Croatian Classics. The second half of the 1800s
introduced figures
like Mato Celestin Medović, Nikola Mašić, Menci Clement Crnčić and of course
Vlaho Bukovac,
just some of the most prominent artists who established the Croatian
artistic
traditions.
Modern Croatian Art (first half of 20th century)
At the start of the 20th century, a new wave of artists came along, most of
them
trained in
the German Academies of Art (München) and in Paris, and introduced modern
concepts and
artistic
techniques, advancing Croatian Art in the spotlight of Central European
Culture.
Miroslav
Kraljević
and Josip Račić (considered the first two modern Croatian painters),
Vladimir
Becić, Ljubo
Babić ,
Jerolim Miše are just a few names that are now representative for the new
art of
the XX
Century.
Avant-garde and Naive Art
The Interwar period will bring forth some of the most applauded Croatian
artistic
groups or
movements: The Prague Four (Vilko Gecan, Milivoj Uzelac, Marijan Trepše and
Vladimir
Varlaj),
the avantgarde visions of the Zenit magazine, the Zemlja Group (Krsto
Hegedušić), the birth
of
the Naive movement around Hlebine and of course the body of work of Ivan
Meštrović,
undoubtedly
the most famous Croatian artist to date.
Post-war and Contemporary Art
With the end of the Second World War and the stability that came in the
following
decades,
revolutionary changes shook the art world. Abstract Expressionism and the
new
Avantgarde
movements in the 50’ and 60’ resonated with the Croatian art scene so we had
the
experimental
groups such as EXAT 51 (Picelj, Richter) or the Gorgona collective (Josip
Vaništa, Julije
Knifer,
Marijan Jevšovar, Đuro Seder, Ivan Kožarić) to move Croatian Art in the
Postmodern world.
The Nove
tendencije exhibitions (1961-1973) encapsulated all these new changes in the
Croatian art
scene
and paved the way for new generations of contemporary artists and the
connection
with the
whole art world.
European Art, Prints & Multiples
Artmark Croatia European Art, Prints and Multiples department presents the
most
important and
attractive art movements that transcend the national borders of any given
country. From
Flemish
Old Masters to Eastern European Avant-Garde Movements, with the addition of
the
immensely
recognisable names of Modern Art or Surrealism, we curate the most up to
date
selections of
European art.
Croatian History and Memorabilia
With such an important history in Central Europe, but also being part of the
western Balkan
environment,
Croatia has one of the richest heritages to offer to collectors and history
enthusiasts.
From royal times
to the 20th Century union in Yugoslavia, we present selections of bits of
histories of men
of state,
historical figures or Royal nobility.