The Svetlin Rusev Donative Exhibition (, ''Izlozhba-darenie „Svetlin Rusev“'') is a permanent art exhibition in

Pleven Pleven ( ) is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality. It is the biggest economic center in ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, including over 400 works of Bulgarian and foreign art donated by the noted Bulgarian artist and collector

Svetlin Rusev Svetlin Rusev (; 14 June 1933 – 26 May 2018) was a Bulgarian artist and a collector of art. He is known for the Svetlin Rusev Donative Exhibition, a permanent art exhibition in Pleven, including over 400 works of Bulgarian and foreign artist don ...

. The exhibition occupies the three-storey historic building of the former

public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

built in the 1900s and commissioned to Nikola Lazarov, who combined

Neo-Byzantine Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a Revivalism (architecture), revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine architecture, ...

Neo-Moorish Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of Romanticist Orientalism. It reached the height of its popularity after the mid-19th centu ...

and Ottoman elements in its design. It served as the city's public baths until 1970, and has been home to the exhibition since 1984, when Rusev donated 322 works of his collection of paintings and sculptures, in 1999 adding 82 more. Works of the best-known Bulgarian artists from the early 20th century are exhibited on the first storey. These include Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, Tsanko Lavrenov, Sirak Skitnik, Kiril Petrov,

Bencho Obreshkov Bencho Yordanov Obreshkov (, 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 Arts in 1920, and specialized in painting under Osk ...

, Dechko Uzunov,

Vladimir Dimitrov Vladimir "the Master/Maystora" Dimitrov Poppetrov () (1 February 1882 – 29 September 1960), was a Bulgarian painter, draughtsman and teacher. He is considered one of the most talented 20th century Bulgarian painters and probably the mos ...

, etc. The second storey mainly features contemporary Bulgarian painters, such as Nikola Manev, Vesa Vasileva, Encho Pironkov,

Georgi Bozhilov Georgi Penkov Bozhilov (, born 12 February 1987) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays for Kostinbrod. He has played much of his career as a second striker but he has also been used as a striker and as an attacking midfielder. Car ...

, but also the oldest painting in the gallery, a 17th-century work by an unknown

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

author, as well as a painting by

Vienna Secession The Vienna Secession (; also known as the Union of Austrian Artists or ) is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and architects, including Josef Ho ...

artist Josef Bauer. On the third storey, occupying the building's towers, one can see not only a collection of works of leading Bulgarian engravers such as

Ilia Beshkov Ilia Beshkov Dunov (; 24 July 1901 – 23 January 1958) was a Bulgarian painter, graphic artist, comics artist, caricaturist, cartoonist, illustrator, writer and pedagogue. Life Beshkov was born in 1901 in Dolni Dabnik, nowadays a small town near ...

, Vladimir Dimitrov and Sidoniya Atanasova, but also famous

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

an artists like

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...

Honoré Daumier Honoré-Victorin Daumier (; February 26, 1808 – February 10 or 11, 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 ...

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, ...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

Renato Guttuso Aldo Renato Guttuso (26 December 1911 – 18 January 1987) was an Italian painter and politician. He is considered to be among the most important Italian artists of the 20th century and is among the key figures of Italian expressionism. His art i ...

and

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( ; ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French people, French Romanticism, Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: ...

, as well as small sculptures of

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

and

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is e ...

References

* * {{authority control Art museums and galleries in Bulgaria 1984 establishments in Bulgaria Moorish Revival architecture in Bulgaria Byzantine Revival architecture in Bulgaria Former public baths Art museums and galleries established in 1984 Museums in Pleven Province