001 - Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master
Born in the middle of the winter of 1882, only 4 years after the establishment of the Third Bulgarian State, Vladimir grew up and was formed as an artist during a particularly turbulent period for Bulgarian history.
Listen the full episode:
Today, the story of one of our most popular artists is actually a story of a quiet and modest-looking boy born into a refugee family. This same boy, however, grew up in times of wars, uprisings, and changes in political regimes. By chance, he became interested in painting and decided that painting was his thing in life.
This perspective makes the story of the Master much more relatable to each of us. A story where we can find a spark to ignite a new project idea or illuminate the way when we get lost in the creative process.
💭 Whatever you take away from the story, we'd love to hear it. Please share it with us on Instagram or Facebook, or drop us a line at 📧 hello@contours.bg. Happy listening!
Special thanks to Laurel Zmolek-Smith, whose beautiful voice is guiding you through the captivating story of the Master, and Maria Kokalanova whose vocal performance adds truly Bulgarian vibes to this story.
The archival sound recordings with the voice of Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistora have been provided by the Archive Fund of BULGARIAN NATIONAL RADIO.
Season one of the audio series is made possible thanks to the financial support of the National "Culture Fund under the "Debuts" program and in partnership with Alike and ProCasters.
GALLERY
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GALLERY 〰️
FROLOSH
Cape Frolosh is a rocky sea cape on the northern side of the entrance to Galata Bay, Anver Island, Antarctic Peninsula, with coordinates: 64°18'39.0"S 63°09'13.0"W.
The mentioned village of Frolosh is located in a picturesque mountain area near Kyustendil. It is the birthplace of the Master.
SELF-PORTRAITS
The Master's self-portrait from the 1890s, believed to be painted from a photograph.
Source: Boyana Stoilova, personal archive
Self-portrait against the background of a birch forest in Kyustendil. It is assumed that it was made in 1922. The painting is exhibited in the National Gallery in Sofia.
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Source: Boyana Stoilova, personal archive
You can see some of his self-portraits in the National Gallery - Sofia, as well as in the Art Gallery in Kyustendil.
TRAVELS
After the end of the First World War, the Master traveled actively around Europe. In a relatively short period of time, he visited Rome, Constantinople, Prague, Paris, London and Munich. He arrived overseas and lived for several months in New York, USA.
“I loved art and never believed that without it I would be fit for anything else. I may have been very wrong this time, but - I was happy.”
SHISHKOVTSI
The village of Shishkovtsi is located in the Kyustendil valley, about 15 minutes by car from Kyustendil and about an hour from his native Frolosh. The area is associated with the "orchards of Bulgaria", with a mild and warm climate, plenty of sunny days, early spring and autumn, which lasts until November.
Returning to the place where he grew up, the Master devoted himself to painting and the cause of creating paintings in a characteristic national spirit and recognizable handwriting.
Sources
"Bulgarian social realism 1956, 1968, 1989. Norm and crisis in the literature of the NRB" with author Plamen Doinov. Publication of the Institute for the Study of the Recent Past and "Ciela" Publishing House (thanks to Dimitar Dimov from the Institute for the Study of the Recent Past)
"History of Bulgarian Fine Art" with author Kiril Krastev. Publisher: Liszt, 2021.
The image of the Master, Kultura magazine
Vladimir Dimitrov - Master: "To be well, we must be more generous to each other" (BNR)
