Atanas Mihov

Atanas Mihov was born on September 24, 1879 in Stara Zagora. He received his first art lessons from Georgi Evstatiev, and in 1897 he entered the State Drawing School, where he studied with Ivan Mrkvichka and Yaroslav Veshin. Even as a student, he stood out with his talent, and after graduating in 1904, he became a member of the "Contemporary Art" society.

He worked as a drawing teacher in Skopje, Silistra, Razgrad and Ruse. During this period he created some of his most significant landscapes, inspired by the Danube, Dobrudja and the Bulgarian plain, distinguished by impressionistic expressiveness, rich color and emotionality. He participated in the establishment of the Union of South Slavic Artists "Lada" and later became the first chairman of the Society of North Bulgarian Artists.

During the Balkan Wars and World War I, he was mobilized and created works reflecting the horrors of war. After the wars, he actively participated in artistic life and in 1920 organized a solo exhibition in Sofia.

From 1923 he lived in Sofia, where he discovered Vitosha as the main motif in his work. He created hundreds of landscapes inspired by the mountains, the sea and the Bulgarian nature. In 1932 he retired and devoted himself entirely to painting.

Atanas Mihov participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and in 1952 he received the title of "People's Artist". He died on January 21, 1975 in Sofia. He left behind a rich artistic legacy, preserved in Bulgarian and foreign galleries and collections.