The exhibition “A Colourful Czech in Bulgaria” is dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the birth
and the 110th anniversary of the death of Jaroslav Věšín.
The exhibition presents the works of one of the true virtuosos of the brush. Czech by origin and Bulgarian at heart, Věšín dedicated his life to Bulgaria and created some of the most poignant scenes in Bulgarian painting, marked by strong emotional impact and artistic mastery. In 1904, he became the first chief artist to the Ministry of War, establishing himself as the founder of the battle genre in Bulgaria,
and had an exceptional impact on Bulgarian art and school of painting in the late 19th–early 20th century.
The exhibition presents over 40 of his works – from the collections of the National Museum
of Military History, Sofia City Art Gallery, and the Regional History Museum – Sofia. These include paintings, graphics, watercolours, ink, chalk and pencil drawings, depicting everyday scenes, landscapes, the peacetime life of the Bulgarian Army, and testimony to its experiences and suffering during
the Balkan Wars. Among the exhibited works are “Bayonet Charge”, “Army Supply Train Near the Ergene River”, “Base Depot”, “Field Hospital near Dimotika”, “Storming the fort of Ayvaz Baba”, “Threshing”, “Prague”, “Horse Market in Poduene”, and others.
The exhibition is complemented by an interactive application familiarizes visitors with Věšín’s works and presents digital images of his paintings preserved in museums and galleries in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia.
The exhibition is organized with the participation of the Sofia City Art Gallery and the Regional History Museum – Sofia, in partnership with the National Gallery of the Czech Republic, the National Gallery of Slovakia, the Art Gallery in Ostrava, the West Bohemian Gallery in Plzeň and the Maleč Castle. It can be seen through September 7.
