site.btaFaces of War: Iliya Petrov's Works on Display at Gallery Arte

An exhibition featuring works by Iliya Petrov will be presented at the Gallery Arte in Sofia, including drawings and graphics titled Faces of War, the team of organizers from Gallery Arte said here on Tuesday. The exhibition, hosted by Gallery Arte and the Radevi collection, will be open from November 18 to 30.

Professor Chavdar Popov, a critic and art historian, said that Iliya Petrov's graphic work is as significant as his contributions to painting. "He is one of the country's acknowledged masters of drawing, an artist with a clearly defined and consistently upheld artistic vision, based on mastering and developing the classical artistic heritage. He has left a substantial body of work in the fields of graphics and illustration, containing an impressive wealth of specific expressions," Popov said.

Iliya Petrov (1903–1975), a Bulgarian artist from Razgrad, mastered styles from naturalism to grotesque. Graduating from Sofia's Academy of Arts in 1926, he became known for his historical-revolutionary themes and powerful portrayals of heroic figures post-1944. Renowned for his nude series and book illustrations, Petrov is celebrated as one of Bulgaria's leading artists and participated in both national and international exhibitions.