Founders
THE GALLERY WAS ESTABLISHED AS AN ART MUSEUM IN RUSE IN 1933.
The initiators are a group of artists and awake Ruse citizens. All of them tangibly participate in the organized cultural life of the city; support a range of creative initiatives of the Ruse intellectuals such as shows of the Union of the Bulgarian artists, traditional Easter exhibitions, their own solo performances.
The basis of the collection is the works, which took place in 1933 in the exhibition of Ruse artists: Aleksandar Lazarov, Atanas Mihov, Vlado Vladimirov, Georgi Karakashev, Dimitar Diolev, Karl Matey, Kiril Stanchev, Lyuben Gaydarov, Nikola Kostov, Rusi Ganchev, Todor Yankov.
Their paintings were created with love to the Bulgarian style of life, manners, nature and emit lightly and romantic nostalgia, especially in the images of the hometown and the Danube River. The art works are realistic, unique in theme, mood and color. Often the subject is seemingly unassuming, but authors always manage to create powerful emotional landscape, balanced in line, spot and mass, full of mood and purple built, graduated in plans, but mostly lived with boundless love to the own country. The collection of paintings became the basis for the formation of the Gallery fund.
Painting
BULGARIAN ART – THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY
The permanent collection includes selected paintings and sculptures from the gallery’s collections. It gives the opportunity to trace various trends, currents and styles in Bulgarian art in the first half of the 20th century – from academic realism, through the influences of impressionism and interpretations of the “native”, to the intensive processes and new plastic searches in the 30s – 40s years and the establishment of individual styles.
The exhibition is dominated by the genres preferred during the period – the landscape (Dimitar Gyuzhenov, Nikola Tanev, David Perets, Veselin Staykov) and the portrait (Stefan Ivanov, Iliya Petrov, Elena Karamihailova). There is also a place for the nudes, which is emerging as a new independent genre (Dechko Uzunov, Nikolay Vladov-Smirgela).
A chosen highlight are the works “Cherubs”, “A Peasant Woman with Child on Back” and “Girl” by Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master, who was a central figure in the art of the interwar period.
The compositions of Bencho Obreshkov, Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Nenko Balkanski, Mara Georgieva and Vaska Emanuilova enrich this small mosaic of new Bulgarian art.
The 80's
THE COLLECTION OF THE RUSE ART GALLERY HAS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF WORKS FOR ITS ENTIRE EXISTENCE, AS A RESULT OF THE ACTIVE ARTISTIC LIFE IN THE COUNTRY AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE UNION OF BULGARIAN ARTISTS.
The picture of art in this period in Bulgaria is difficult and contradictory. Different trends are found in one generation, but the overlaps of three generations of authors are also important. All with a different worldview and expression, developing their theme in art.
Some artists saw a return to spontaneous expression. Dynamic and animated, with a bright color is the sketch of Yordan Kisyov. The canvases of Yanaki Kavrakov, Georgi Trifonov, Svetlin Rusev, Yordan Katsamunski radiate introversion and poetic solitude. Petar Dochev approaches the structure of the site with particular attention. Georgi Bozhilov – Elephant, following the artistic idea, saturates the paintings with whimsical forms, the fruit of fantasy and experiment.
Harmony and peace reign in the landscape of Kalina Taseva.
The portrait of Desislava Mincheva excites with its ethereal tenderness, elegance and aristocracy. In the case of Liliana Ruseva, the image is distinguished by a special lyricism, achieved with sparing color and a lack of prominent color contrasts. Unusual for the time, pure and unadulterated like a child’s drawing, full of symbolism is the art of Lika Yanko.
The classic female portraits of Nikola Terziev–Zhelyazoto and Velichko Minekov radiate a high degree of spirituality, strength and calmness. Galin Malakchiev’s sculpture is avant-garde for its time, the form is expressively artistic, dynamic and exciting.
The complex, eventful historical time of the decade resonates in the artists’ works. The exhibition brings together the diversity of styles, concepts and ideas in the fullness of their aesthetic implications.