Petko Dimitrov Klisurov, originally Kasarov (Bulgarian: Петко Димитров Клисуров, 29 June 1865, Kazanlak - 11 May 1933, Sofia) was a Bulgarian painter and art teacher.

Biography

In 1802, his family fled from

Klisura Klisura, a South Slavic word of Greek origin (''kleisoúra''), for "pass", "gorge" or "canyon", may refer to: Albania *Këlcyrë, a Byzantine town, now in Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina * Klisura (Višegrad), a village in the municipality of Vi� ...

, to escape the roaming bands of robbers known as the . As a youth, he adopted the name "Klisurov" to reflect this heritage. He completed his secondary education in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

; becoming a teacher in the local villages, and in

Stara Zagora Stara Zagora ( bg, Стара Загора, ) is the sixth-largest city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province. Name The name comes from the Slavic root ''star'' ("old") and the name of the medieva ...

. In 1884, he was awarded a grant from the regional government of

Rumelia Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Names of the Greeks#Romans (Ῥωμαῖοι), Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians f ...

, that enabled him to continue his studies in Italy. For the next three years, he lived in Florence and studied painting, with a focus on drawing from nature. In 1887, he began taking private lessons from

Giuseppe Ciaranfi Giuseppe Ciaranfi (1838, Pistoia - 18 January 1902, Florence) was an Italian history and genre painter. Biography He initially studied with Enrico Pollastrini in Florence. In 1859, he was admitted to the nude figure lessons at the Accademia di ...

. After returning to Bulgaria in 1888, he resumed his role as a teacher, in Kazanlak, Plovdiv,

Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria **Varna Province **Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna **Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis *Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy *Varniai, a city in Lithuania * Varna (Šaba ...

and Sofia. Between 1899 and 1908, he was a part-time lecturer at the

National Academy of Arts The National Academy of Arts ( bg, Национална художествена академия) is an institution of higher education in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest and most renowned school of arts in the country. History The National ...

. He was a full-time instructor there from 1911 to 1920. His students included many of the best known Bulgarian artists of the twentieth century; such as

Vladimir Dimitrov Vladimir Dimitrov — Maystora ( bg, Владимир Димитров — Майстора) (1 February 1882 – 29 September 1960), was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian Painting, painter, draughtsman and teacher. He is considered one of ...

, ,

Bencho Obreshkov Bencho Yordanov Obreshkov ( bg, Бенчо Йорданов Обрешков, 27 April 1899, Karnobat - 8 April 1970, Sofia) was a renowned Bulgarian painter. He graduated under Petko Klissurov and Ivan Angelov from the Sofia Academy of Fine Art ...

and Dechko Uzunov. In addition to oil painting, he also created decorative art. Much of his stained glass work at the Synodal Palace was damaged or destroyed during the Bombing of Sofia in World War II. A mosaic of Jesus at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is derived from one of his

icon painting An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s. In 1900, he received an award at the Exposition Universelle for his textile designs. He also participated in international exhibitions; including the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

(1904), the Liège International (1905), and at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

in London (1907). He was also awarded the Order of Saint Alexander and the Russian

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

. After his retirement in 1920, he withdrew from public life. Many of his works may be seen at the

National Art Gallery List of national galleries is a list of national art galleries. {{tocright Africa *Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa *National Art Gallery of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia The Americas *Galería Nacional, San Juan, Puerto ...

. His son, , was a famous physician who died under mysterious circumstances.

Sources

* ''Енциклопедия на изобразителните изкуства в България'' (Encyclopedia of Fine Arts in Bulgaria), Vol.1,

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (abbreviated BAS; bg, Българска академия на науките, ''Balgarska akademiya na naukite'', abbreviated ''БАН'') is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy ...

, 1981
Listing
@ SVETAnaKNIGITE) * Marin Dobrev, ''Художниците на Казанлък'' (The Artists of Kazanlak), Дъга Плюс, 2013

External links

Biographical notes
@ bgART {{DEFAULTSORT:Klisurov, Petko 1865 births 1933 deaths Bulgarian painters Genre painters Portrait painters People from Kazanlak