January 30 - February 23, 2026, 6:00 PM
City Art Gallery “Boris Georgiev”
The exhibition traces the development of the portrait genre from its beginnings to the end of the 20th century. The opening will take place on January 30 at 6:00 PM.
The City Art Gallery “Boris Georgiev” – Varna opens the year with a large-scale exhibition from its own collection, dedicated to portrait painting. This exhibition continues the Gallery’s established series of temporary museum shows that explore genres, periods, and trends in Bulgarian art, as revealed through the works preserved in the Gallery’s collection.
“The Portrait in Painting” explores the development of one of the oldest and most respected genres in art. In Bulgarian painting, this development spans nearly a century — from the early years of the 20th century to its very end.
The exhibition presents a rich overview of Bulgarian portrait painting from the first decades of the 20th century. It features works by notable artists such as Ivan Mrkvička, Alexander Mutafov, Stefan Ivanov, Tseno Todorov, Nikola Ganushev, Hristo Berberov, Asen Belkovski, and the Varna-born Boris Georgiev. These artists worked in the tradition of academic realism, creating portraits in a classical style with great attention to detail and a deep sensitivity to the character and inner world of the portrayed figures.
The next section of the exhibition presents works by artists from the so-called “New Artists” group, which emerged in the 1930s, including Bencho Obreshkov, Vera Lukova, and Boris Ivanov. Influenced by French art, they approached form and composition in a more synthetic manner, using richer, more intense colors with heightened expressiveness. Particularly striking is Bencho Obreshkov’s portrait of a young woman, notable for its strong emotional impact.
Another section of the exhibition features artists who emerged in the 1960s, including Svetlin Rusev, Bisera Prahova, Kalina Taseva, Nayden Petkov, and Lilyana Ruseva. The Varna-based artists represented in this group are Daria Vasilyanska, Margarita Deneva, Snezina Popgencheva, and Emanuil Popgenchev. The exhibition also includes Vanko Urumov, who began his artistic path in the 1970s.
In their works, a more monumental approach to form becomes evident. The portraits are more ascetic and often monochromatic, characterized by a rawer plasticity that is typical of the period.
The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to encounter rarely exhibited and previously unknown works from the collection of the Varna City Art Gallery. It is part of the Gallery’s ongoing series of museum exhibitions presented in recent years.
The opening will take place on January 30 at 6:00 PM. The exhibition will remain on display until February 23, 2026.
City Art Gallery “Boris Georgiev” - Varna
Varna, 1 “L. Karavelov” Str.
Working hours: Monday - Saturday: 9:30 - 17:30, day off - Sunday
