4. The Pink Rose (Girl from the village of German) [1940]

Vasil Stoilov is one of the most lyrical and delicate Bulgarian painters, along with Boris Georgiev. Not coincidentally, he preferred the technique of watercolour due to the rich opportunities it provides for preserving the transparency of the colour and the atmosphere. He also applies this way of working in oil painting on canvas, preserving the ethereal quality of the paint through the application of thin veiling layers. Vasil Stoilov was born into a large family of a priest from the village of German. He lost his mother at a very young age and this sorrow can be felt in all the female figures he draws. Throughout his life, he remains deeply connected with his father's homeland, Bulgarian folk life and culture. Even today, the community centre in the village of German bears the name "Prof. Vasil Stoilov". The painting "The Pink Rose, (Girl from the village of German)" by Vasil Stoilov has all the characteristic features of his work in the 1940s - realistic and poetic renaissance form, transparent colours, soft, silky tones. The young girl is animated, radiating nobility and restraint. She is seated in a poor interior of a rural house, in a moment of rest from her household work. She has her hands relaxed on her blue apron. Her crystalline blue eyes are thoughtful, her gaze direct. In her long, braided hair is adorned a pink rose – a symbol of her youth and purity. The female figures in the artist's works embody his ideal of the elevated spirituality and dignity of the Bulgarian woman, her gentleness and beauty. Equally affecting is his painting "Bulgarian Madonna" from the National Gallery collection, which bears some of the features of the Christian iconography of the Virgin Mary. Vasil Stoilov remains in the history of Bulgarian art with his expressive portraits, multi-figure historical compositions and lyrical landscapes.

Dimensions

width 85.5 cm, height 100 cm

Description

oil paint on plywood, signed and dated upper right, in brown, "V. Stoilov, 1940"

Lot.notes

exhibition label on the back

Dating

1940

PROVENANCE

Stancho Dimitriev's collection - a respected lawyer and public figure in the 1950s.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For clarifications regarding the bidding procedure, hammer price costs, guarantee, payment, and collection terms for the winning lot, we recommend carefully reading/re-reading the Bidding Regulations.

For additional information regarding the lot and the auction, please contact the Art Consultants Department.