"Influence of Art on Crafts." Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1907

D[imitar] P[opov] Daskalov, "Influence of Art on Crafts". Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1907 // 128 p.

Book I from Popular Craft Library "Ivan Evstatiev Geshov", published by the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry; The second in a row* published larger work of the painter, sculptor, graphic artist, art critic and pedagogue Dimitar Daskalov (1874-1914); Paperback, excellent legible print, copy in good condition.



The author was among the first to graduate from the State Drawing School (today the National Art Academy) in 1903. From 1908 (and until 1913) he worked as an artist at the National Museum, renamed the following year to the National Archaeological Museum. At the same time, from 1909 to 1911, he taught stylistics at the State Painting School. His first art reviews were printed in the magazine "Novo Vreme", published by Dimitar Blagoev from 1897 to 1923. In addition to "Painting in our middle schools" and "Influence of Art on Crafts" another was published before his early death "History of Art", Part I The Ancient East - Egypt, Assyro-Babylonia, Persia, Phoenicia, Asia Minor. Court Printing House, 1910 // 96 (which, by the way, is also available in the specialized scientific library of the National History Museum, received as a donation in 1982), provided with 80 engravings by the author and with 94 black and white illustrations, as well as "Scythians and Sarmatians - ancestors of Slavs and Bulgarians. Historical-archaeological study". Royal Court Printing House, 1912 // 16 p.

"Influence of Art on Crafts" is published not by chance as a publication of the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Established in 1895, among other things, and in order to carry out professional training, the Chamber also aims to preserve the original Bulgarian crafts in the conditions of the economic boom at the end of the XIX and in the first decade of the XX century. At that time, the appearance and the accelerated development of cheap machine production threatens with extinction the expensive handicraft. In this regard, the book that we are presenting today is no less timely in these days, when mass machine production is so cheap and accessible, and traditional Bulgarian crafts are increasingly rare. "The influence of art on crafts" provides a possible way out - modern craft production can only survive by bringing itself closer to works of art; however, this has been a fact for a long time - the vast majority of modern craftsmen are graduates of either the Academy of Arts or the specialized high schools of the arts. And although the book is available in most major Bulgarian libraries, we present it here because of its relevance, as well as because of its high price in antiquarian bookstores.

Despite his short life, Dimitar Daskalov is not forgotten even today. Almost six decades ago, a volume with selected works of his was published - Dimitar Daskalov, "Selected Articles and Studies on Fine Art". Bulgarian artist, 1965 // 200 pp. And in 1921, his works were included in the exhibition "Elevation. The first graduating class" of the Sofia City Art Gallery, September-November 1921, presented on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the National Academy of Arts.

The book D[imitar] P[opov] Daskalov, "Influence of art on crafts" entered the specialized library of the National History Museum through purchase in 1980 from the personal library of one of the most prominent Bulgarian archaeologists.

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*After D[imitar] P[opov] Daskalov, "Drawing in our secondary schools". School Review, XI, 1906, vol. 1

Text: Ivan Petrinsky