Vasil Stoilov

Vasil Stoilov was born on February 29, 1904 in the village of Poduene (today a district of Sofia). He lost his mother at an early age and from childhood showed a strong interest in painting and literature. In 1922 he graduated from the First Boys' High School and entered the Academy of Arts in the class of Prof. Tseno Todorov.

Already with his debut work "Guest" (1927) he attracted the attention of critics and quickly established himself as a significant young artist. In 1928 he won a competition of the Ministry of Public Education with the painting "The Miraculous Icon" and received a scholarship for specialization in France. Between 1929 and 1932 he lived and worked in Paris, participated in prestigious exhibitions and received international recognition, but consciously chose to return to Bulgaria.

Despite the onslaught of modern art, Stoilov remained faithful to the classical ideal, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and Bulgarian spirituality. After his return, he organized his first solo exhibition in Sofia in 1933. In 1934, he met his future wife, Ganka Naydenova.

Vasil Stoilov created thousands of works – portraits, landscapes, everyday and historical compositions, held dozens of solo exhibitions and participated in numerous national and international expositions. He died on February 13, 1990 in Sofia.