Articles From the Experts

Bulgarian authors from the second half of the 20th century

Enakor Auction No. 47, 10 April 2025

Auction No. 47 of Enakor Auction House is dedicated to the collection of Rouzha Marinska (1944-2022). It contains half of the 500 works in the collection (Dimitrov 2024) of the great art historian, the best expert on Bulgarian fine art, the outstanding teacher and our invaluable friend. In the first part, the works of Bulgarian artists who received their art education until 1948 were presented. In the second part, we presented the works of Bulgarian artists who received their artistic education after 1948 about whom Rouza Marinska wrote special critical and research articles or gave speeches at the opening of their exhibitions.

The third part will present works by Bulgarian artists from the same period, who received artistic education after 1948 and before the 1980s, for whom Marinska did not have time to write special studies, although we know that they were highly appreciated by her and were part of the permanent exhibition in her home. These were artists contemporary to her, whom she knew and observed, included in her own projects and in plein air exhibitions she organized, commented on their work in review texts and in presentations at general or group exhibitions.

The artists that Rοuzha supported, in turn, expressed their gratitude by gifting her their works. These particular works were among Marinska’s most intensely experienced, as she writes (Marinska 2020a:I, 9-10) – emotionally and intellectually – because she experienced and reflected on them first through the exhibitions she organized or commented on, and then intimately in her home after they were presented to her in gratitude. Through this long-standing work with a large number of contemporary artists, Rοuzha Marinska has undoubtedly had an extremely strong impact on the individual professional development of many artists, as well as on the directions of artistic processes in Bulgaria.

Artists from the second half of the twentieth century, mentioned in review texts by R. MarinskaArtists born in the 1920s whose works Rοuzha Marinska owned and most of whom she mentioned in her review texts are Moni Aladzhemov (1922-2006), included in the auction with the ink and pen drawing “Paskin’s Native House”, Vidin (Fig. 1); Georgi Penchev (1924-2014), “Kara Tanas”, 1968, woodcut (Fig. 2); Borislav Stoev (1927-2017), (Marinska 1999a:141), “Hunter” (“Chasseur”), 1983, lithograph (Fig. 3); two lithographs by Zhanna Kosturkova (1927-2010), (Marinska 1978; 1995a) “Bird” (“Oiseau”), 1976 (Fig. 4) and “In the Year of the Horse – Without Obstacles,” 1978 (Fig. 5).

Artists born in the 1930s are presented with the following works in the auction: linocut by Evgeniy Bosyatsky (1929-2009), “Village Street”, 1960, (Fig. 6); two prints by Roumen Skorchev (1932-2015), (Marinska 1978; 1999a), “The Year of the Horse II,” 2001, drypoint (Fig. 7) and “Summer V”, 1991, lithograph (Fig. 8); Yanaki Manasiev (1932-1978), (Marinska 1999a) “Self-Portrait,” watercolour (Fig. 9); two works by Ivan B. Ivanov (1933-2023), (Marinska 1978; 1985a) “Portrait,” 1998, oil on wood, with dedication (Fig. 10); and the drawing “Pan”, 2000 (Fig. 11).

Among the artists born in the 1930s, the auction also includes Mihail Petkov (1933-2015), “Still Life”, 1988, mezzotint (Fig. 12); three works by Kiril Gyulemetov (1938-2004), (Marinska 1981) “Three Nude Figures on a Seashore,” tempera (Fig. 13); and two etchings, “Landscape,” 1975 (Fig. 14) and “Near Sofia”, 1991 (Fig. 15).

Remarkable are two landscapes by Valko Gaydarov (1937-2009) – “Kosovo in the Rhodope Mountains”, oil (Fig. 16) and “Seascape”, watercolour, gouache (Fig. 17), (Marinska 1995a; 1995c; see. Bulgarian Painting at Argos) – which are very likely related to Gaydarov’s participation in the plein-air workshops organized by the “Contacts Without Limits” Foundation (Marinska, Daneva 2007; Marinska 2007; Daneva 2007), held under the direction of Rouzha Marinska. The auction includes a watercolour by Hristo Hristov-Yoshkata (1938-2014), (Marinska 1978; 1999a) “Bird” (Fig. 16) and a plaster sculpture by Boyan Trendafilov (1939-2021), “Eagle”, 2015 (Fig. 17).

Artists born in the first half of the 1940s are represented with three works by Marinska’s highly appreciated Thomas Kotchev- Xenos (1940-1997), (Marinska 1978; 1985b; 1999a, 199b) – “Male Head” (Fig. 20), “Head of an Ancient Greek Kouros”, 1979, author’s technique (Fig. 21), and the two-sided drawing A. “Nude Female Body,” B. “Male Head,” 1981 (Fig. 22a-b). Stoyan Genchev (b. 1944) is included with a two-sided watercolour drawing, “Landscape”, 2020, with dedication (Fig. 21a-b). Belin Martinov (1945-2001), (Marinska 1995b), participates with “Composition”, dry pastel (Fig. 24).

The collection includes a number of magnificent works by Ivan Ninov (b. 1946), about whom R. Marinska has written in review articles (Marinska 1981). Four of his graphic works in the drypoint technique are offered in the auction: ‘”Nature V”, 1998 (Fig. 25); “Composition X”, 2008 (Fig. 26); “Fragment”, 1998 (Fig. 27); “Dead Nature VII” (Fig. 28).

Artists born in the second half of the 1940s in the auction include Vladimir Ivanov (b. 1946), from whom two masterful graphic works are offered (Fig. 29), “Shadow” and “Abstract Composition”, 1990, drypoint (Fig. 30). Stoyan Tsanev (1946-2019), mentioned by Marinska in two of her most important theoretical and survey studies (Marinska 1984; 1999a), is represented by two works, the ink drawing “Composition XXII”, 1998 (Fig. 31) and the print “Sailor”, 1984 (Fig. 32). Spartak Paskalevsky (b. 1947), (Marinska 1978), is included with nine ink drawings (Figs. 33a-i) from “Theophrastus,”Character” Cycle, 1979, with dedication; and Yuri Bukov (b. 1947), (Marinska 1985a), with “Male Portrait,” oil (Fig. 34).

Artists born in the 1950s, Included in the auction are Milan Andreev (b. 1948), (Marinska 1981; 1995b), “Angel”, 1995 (Fig. 35) Simeon Simeonov (b. 1950), represented by the photograph “Spring Waters”, ca. 2000 (Fig. 35). 36); Tsanko Panov (1950-2003), whom Marinska has repeatedly commented on since his appearance in youth exhibitions (Marinska 1982; 1998; 2014), with the lithograph “Sonata”, 1986 (Fig. 37); the art historian Boris Klimentiev (1951-2023), with two works, “Paris Insomnia”, 1998, a collage (Fig. 38), and a two-sided drawing A: “Female Nude”, B: “Pietà”, with dedication (Fig. 39a-b).

We continue with works by artists born in the 1950s – by Dimitar Grozdanov (1951-2020), (Marinska 1992), “Composition”, 1994, author’s technique (Fig. 40); by Lyuben Kostov (b. 1952), “Eternity” (Fig. 41); by Vihroni Popnedelev (b. 1953), whom Marinska has appreciated and repeatedly commented on in theoretical studies and review articles since his first participation in youth exhibitions (Marinska 1982; 1984; 1986; 1995b; 1998; 214b), with the lovely “Vase in the Shape of a Human Head” (Fig. 42); by Rositsa Trendafilova (b. 1953), with the interesting wall sculpture “Layers”, porcelain, patterned porcelain, silver (Fig. 43), which work was exhibited in a central place in Ruzha’s living room; by Dimitar Cholakov (b. 1954), (Marinska 1998; 2003), with “Rodin’s House, Paris”, 1999, ink (Fig. 44).

Artists born in the late 1950s and early 1960s with works in the auction include Nedko Solakov (b. 1957), (Marinska 1985a; 1998; 2002b; 2014), drawing “Fantastic Animals,” 1985 (Fig. 45); Vasil Popov (1958-2018), “Composition,” 2000, watercolour, ink (Fig. 46). Included are seven pencil drawings (Fig. 47) by Peter Zmiycharov (1961-2016); the oil work by Vesela Lozanova (b. 1962), “Aestheticizing,” 1997 (Fig. 48); Vladimir S. Vladimirov, “Vitosha Fires. Zheleznitsa,” 2012, acrylic, with dedication (Fig. 49).

In the auction of artworks from the collection of Rouzha Marinska, you will be able to acquire the works of contemporary artists that she has appreciated, supported and that have appealed to her taste. Each of these artworks bears the traces of the sincere and warm relationship between the art historian and the artist – both professional and human. This is what makes these works particularly valuable – in addition to their own artistic and cultural value, they also carry the additional value of Rouzha Marinska’s personal, emotional, and professional attitude towards art. The very affordable starting prices of the auctioned artworks will make it possible for these special works, which bear the memory of Rouzha Marinska’s spirit, intellect and love of art, to reach her friends, relatives, students and admirers, as well as connoisseurs of Bulgarian art.

Rositsa Gicheva-Meimari, PhD

Senior Assistant Professor in the Art History and Culture Studies Section and member of the Bulgarian-European Cultural Dialogues Centre at New Bulgarian University 

February 22th 2025

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