Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Zahari Zograf – the most prominent icon painter in the Bulgarian lands

The Wheel of Life, Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ, Veliko Tarnovo. Saints Cyril and Methodius, Troyan Monastery
Photo: dveri.bg

Zahari Zograf, an emblematic figure of the Bulgarian National Revival, who has gone down in history as an artist, but also as an advocate for the use of the Bulgarian language in church service, died on 14 June 167 years ago.

The master icon painter from the Samokov School of icon painting has left multiple works of excellence for the coming generations. To this very day icons and frescoes by him can be seen in different churches and monasteries – the Last Judgement fresco in Bachkovo Monastery, Saints Cyril and Methodius in Troyan Monastery, the Wheel of Life in Preobrazhenie Monastery etc.

Yet it was clerics that maintained that the most famous of all icon-painters in Bulgaria had committed apostasy in his art, paving the way to the decline of icons, prior the country’s liberation from Ottoman domination, to become the father of secular painting in Bulgaria. Zahari Zograf was also anathematized for the audacity of painting his own face on the walls of monasteries, thus highlighting the human creator as opposed to the Creator of all things.

Prof. Elena Genova from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Art Studies talks about Zahari Zograf’s innovative spirit and the audacity of his ideas, and also about the generation of icon painters who created the most prominent icon-painting school in Bulgaria – the Samokov school.

From Radio Bulgaria’s collection: Prof. Elena Genova presents: The Samokov School of iconography

Edited by Diana Tsankova



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The hottest days of the year known as "goreshtnitsi" start in Bulgaria

The  goreshtnitsi –  dog days, the hottest days of summer in Bulgaria fall on 15, 16 and 17 July. Their roots go back to pagan times and are connected with the cult of fire. The tradition of  goreshtnitsi  is observed mostly in Northern and..

published on 7/15/24 10:34 AM
Photo: Scientific Society of Bulgarians in the Republic of Moldova

Bulgarians in Moldova pay tribute to the feat of Hristo Botev and the heroes of Bulgaria

Did you know that in the Moldovan capital Chisinau there is a street named after Hristo Botev? Located about three kilometers from the city center, there stands an impressive monument to the Bulgarian poet, revolutionary and public figure, who died in..

published on 6/1/24 2:10 PM

The tradition of sending Easter cards in Bulgaria dates back to the Liberation

When we have a special occasion where we meet relatives or friends, as a sign of respect and as a memory, we usually present them with a gift, complete with a beautiful card. In the past, the card received was kept as a cherished memory and even passed..

published on 5/4/24 4:35 AM