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GENERAL INFO
Although Mihail Mihaylov’s name did not gain the popularity he deserved for one reason or another, he was among the most important pre-1944 artists and his work is an important stage in the development of the Bulgarian sculptural tradition. His works have served as inspiration for generations of artists and those interested in Bulgarian sculpture are well acquainted with the emblematic figure of a lion, located in front of the building of the Ministry of Interior in Shesti Septemvri St in the capital city. He works in portraiture, figure composition, monumental sculpture and the nude body.
In addition to a significant gallery of sculptures,
Mihaylov created the lion figure, known as one of the best in the Bulgarian monumental sculpture, which stands in front of the Ministry of Interior today. It was crafted in 1938 as an integral part of the overall programme for decoration of the building. The author of the innovative concept for that time was arch. Georgi Ovcharov. The building was completed in 1940 and despite the vastly changed urban environment today, its main design can still be detected – the profile of the building was conceived as a stone-carved monumental sculpture, developed in harmony with its surroundings, a continuation of the walk line and gracefully fitting into the landscape background – the relief of Vitosha Mountain. The building is an example of the implementation of the concept of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “organic architecture”, in which the layout of the façade also plays a role. In addition to the uniquely designed volumetric solutions, part of which was the placement of the lion in front of the western façade, the modern appearance of the building also included murals and was one of the emblematic examples of a spatial solution in which a single suggestion of the heroic was achieved. In addition to Mihaylov, Lyuben Dimitrov also participated in the sculptural decoration by producing elements on the façade and the internal staircase. Mihail Mihaylov’s granite lion is placed on a low stone wall, which serves both to separate the two levels of the terrain, and as a pedestal, and thus introduces the almost avant-garde function of sculpture in Bulgaria as a mediator in the dialogue with urban culture. The purpose of the figure was to combine the street space with the courtyard when, according to the initial projects, the western façade was opened on the ground floor. The sculptural decoration in the interior and on the facades is organically connected to the whole and participates in the composition with the murals. The background of the granite lion figure consisted of the decorative compositions Labour and Meeting – murals on the western façade, performed by Dechko Uzunov in casein paint on the white cladding stone.
Source: Galina Dekova, A Platform for Arts of the Institute of Art Studies, BAS, https://artstudies.bg/platforma/restoration-of-memory-the-dimensions-of-heroism-and-the-sculptor-mihail-mihaylov/?lang=en
MONUMENT INFO
Author: Mihail Mihaylov (sculptor)
Title: unknown
Year of creation: 1938
Period: 1918-1944
Location: Sofia, 29 „Shesti Septemvri“ str.
DIGITAL METADATA
Author: Krasimir Daskalov
Scan creation: 2021
Method: Photogrammetry
Equipment: Canon EOS 750D + Canon EF50mm f/1.8 STM
Images: 197
Polygons: 2,941,514