The visit of HM King Simeon II at the National Academy of Art
2023.03.10
HM King Simeon II had a visit at the National Academy of Art on 8 March 2023, at the invitation of the Rector of the Academy, Prof. Georgi Iankov. The King was welcomed by the Academy's Management and Mr Konstantin Penchev, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Art.
The invitation extended to HM King Simeon II was prompted by the close historical relations between the National Academy of Art and the royal family, the role of Tsar Ferdinand I and Tsar Boris III in the development of the Academy, and the valuable artefacts that the Academy's Museum Collection keeps.
The State School of Drawing was founded in Sofia on 1 October 1896 after Tsar Ferdinand I signed a decree. That was the inauguration of one of the oldest higher education institutions in Bulgaria. Over the years, the Tsar and the fund set up by him provided financial support to talented art students in need. An erudite himself, the Tsar frequently visited the Academy's ateliers and was regularly present at the famous talks on art history given by Prof. Anton Mitov and known as "Mitov's Lantern".
The Rector, Prof. Georgi Iankov, and the Vice-Rectors took HM King Simeon II on a tour around the Academy's premises and to view the exhibition presented at Academia Gallery by Prof. Dr. Ivan Gazdov, who was recently awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the National Academy of Art.
During the meeting, some of the Academy's most important museum exhibits related to the royal family were presented:
• The ritual set with which Tsar Ferdinand I laid the foundation stone of the State School of Drawing in 1906.
• The ritual set with which Tsar Ferdinand I laid the foundations of the State Aquarium in Varna in 1906.
• The ritual hammer with which King Ferdinand I laid the foundations of the monument to King Liberator on 20 April 1901.
• Signal hunting horn which belonged to Tsar Ferdinand I;
• A porcelain flower vase donated by Tsar Ferdinand I to the Museum Collection of the Academy of Arts;
• The edition "Italienische sculpturen" (1896), a donation from the personal library of Тsar Ferdinand I to the Library of the Academy of Arts.
The emblematic portrait of Princess Marie-Louise of Bourbon-Parma, part of the Museum Collection of the National Academy of Art, created by Prof. Ivan Mrkvička, the first Director of the State School of Drawing, is currently under the restoration intervention of the professors from the Department of Restoration. The Head of the Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stefan Belishki, gave more details related to the restoration activities. The restoration processes are financed under the Programme for Scientific and Artistic Activities of the National Academy of Art.
At the suggestion of Dr. Milena Balcheva-Bozhkova, the curator of the Museum Collection of the National Academy of Art, with regards to the close relations of the royal family with the Academy of Art in the period end of XIX c. – first half of XX c., there was a discussion on the idea about realising a joint exhibition with Tsar Boris III and Tsarina Yoanna Fund – Vrana Palace, which will present works and documentary materials tracing the role of Tsar Ferdinand I and Tsar Boris III in the historical chronicle of the higher education institution.
On behalf of the Academy, Prof. Georgi Iankov presented to HM King Simeon II a copy of the decree signed by Tsar Ferdinand I, endorsing the establishment of the State School of Drawing.
Gallery
