Vladimir Georgiev Rilski

Place: Peshtera

Born: 1905

Death: 1969

Biography:

Vladimir Georgiev Rilski was born in 1905 in Peshtera, Bulgaria. He was a prominent intellectual's son and studied at the Plovdiv Boys' High School 'Alexander I'. In 1925, he entered the Art Academy in Sofia, where he studied under professors Dimitar Gyuzhenov, Nikola Marinov, and Stefan Ivanov. After his studies, he returned to Bulgaria and began working as a high school art teacher in Plovdiv. He joined the circle of Baratsite, a group of artists including Vasil Barakov, Zlatyu Boyadjiev, and Tsanko Lavrenov, who were known for their deep and spiritual national art. Rilski organized his first solo exhibition in Plovdiv in 1938 and held a joint exhibition with Zlatyu Boyadzhiev. He taught at the Art Academy in Sofia from 1945 and participated in many exhibitions. In 1946, his solo exhibition in Sofia was opened by the writer Georgi Karaslavov. In 1949, Rilski went to work in Smolyan, where he made panels, painted posters, and interiors of public buildings. He was known for his idealistic spirit and was called the Silverless and the Forest Tsar by Rodopians. Rilski's art is known for its mystical-lyrical philosophy, which reflects on his painting and brings the romance of church icon painting and the realism of Bulgarian folk art. He is considered one of the brightest representatives of the movement for native art in the 30s and 40s of the 20th century.