140 years since the birth of Petar Morozov
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of Petar Morozov, a famous Bulgarian painter and graphic artist who introduced to our country one of the graphic techniques - color aquatint.
A passionate lover of antiquities, the artist devotes a large part of his work to historical events, to views from majestic corners of Bulgaria, to monasteries and churches, old streets and houses, bridges and markets, some of which are owned by the National History Museum (NIM). . Apart from artistic, they also have historical value, because they have sealed the authentic image of many Bulgarian antiquities, some of which no longer exist. Petar Petrov Morozov was born in Ruse on September 6, 1880. His father, Petar Ignatov Morozov, was born in the village of Belotserkovka, not far from Kyiv, and was a participant in the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878).
Read the whole text In the midst of cherry picking, he passes with his unit through a cherry orchard near Ruse. He catches a glimpse of a young, blue-eyed girl in the tree, whom he likes very much. And he vows - if he stays alive, to return and marry her. He participated in the battles for Pleven, was wounded, but survived and indeed returned to Ruse to marry Elenka. Four children were born to them - Peter, Lukerina, Procopius and Nikola. After the Liberation, Petar Morozov's father opened a furniture workshop in Ruse, which he designed and made himself. Apparently, the future schedule inherited the artistic gift from him, because he drew passionately from an early age. This creative vein is apparently quite strong, because several generations of Morozovs have emerged as bright artists. The other characteristic feature of the family is curiosity and the eternal search for the new.
Petar Morozov studied in the first graduating class of the State Painting School under the "fathers" of Bulgarian painting - Ivan Mrkvichka, Yaroslav Veshin and Ivan Angelov. Morozov is Veshin's favorite student. A love for the common man and rural life is noticeable in his work, which was a novelty for its time.
After the academy, the artist went to study in Paris. The stay in the French capital played a big role in perfecting his schedule. Precisely with the etching technique and his favorite aquatint, the classic remains the most famous to this day. Later, Morozov was sent again to Paris and to Italy, where, in addition to improving himself in graphics, he mastered the new photographic reproduction technique. Photography became one of his many fields. He became the first Bulgarian photojournalist while working for the daily "Morning" /1912/. He publishes many articles in the press on problematic issues of art, reviews of works and exhibitions, responds to topical issues of an artistic nature. He is a wonderful illustrator and headline writer for a number of newspapers.
The artist participated in the Balkans and in the First World War, when he was assigned to the headquarters of the Third Army. At the front, he created hundreds of graphics, drawings, etchings and aquatints, reflecting the daily life of the soldier. They say that during the siege of Edirne they almost killed him. When he leads his company, Morozov marches with a pistol in one hand and a short trench shovel in the other. He instinctively covered himself with it, since there were no helmets then. And it saves his life. A bullet pierced the shovel and grazed his head.
Extremely hardworking and productive Petar Morozov held 15 exhibitions until his big exhibition in Sofia in 1921. All of them are distinguished by the large number of paintings executed in all types of techniques and genres - historical, everyday and ritual scenes, portraits. A huge number of watercolors, aquatints, etchings, pastels and oil landscapes that recreate houses and streets of Renaissance cities, markets, clock towers, spiritual Bulgarian monasteries and churches, cozy courtyards from all corners of the Motherland. His two oil portraits are very famous - of his wife Tsvetana Morozova and Evgenia Mars. And his emblematic oil paintings - "Benkovski's Flying Band" and "Battle for the Samara Banner at Stara Zagora", which we know from history textbooks. A series of exhibitions in Prague, Zagreb, Belgrade, Chicago, Washington, and so his graphics become advertising for Bulgaria.
Morozov is at the center of cultural life - together with Alexander Balabanov, Alexander Bozhinov and Elin Pelin, he is among the founders of the first Bulgarian humorous newspaper "Balgaran" (1904-1909). In 1911, he became co-owner of the Trupko Gallery, created by the artist Trupko Vassilev the previous year. In 1920, he became the secretary of the established House of Arts, whose chairman was Stefan Kirov, and vice-chairman - Elin Pelin. In the same year, he was among the founders of the Society of Independent Artists.
He died on January 22, 1951 in Sofia.
The National History Museum houses aquatints and etchings by Petar Morozov, a poster from his exhibition and a postage stamp depicting the painting "Benkovsky's Flying Squad". Until recently, the original of the oil canvas triptych - "Crushed Hopes" from 1919, which the artist gave to the opera singer Hristina Morfova, was almost unknown to the general public. At the time, a postcard with a reproduction of the painting was widely circulated. Now "Shattered Hopes" is stored in the NIM and can be seen in the temporary exhibition: "For Liberation and National Reunification".
