Ilia Beshkov

Ilia Beshkov Dunov (also written Ilija Beschkow, Bulgarian Илия Бешков Дунов; born July 24, 1901 in Dolni Dabnik; † January 23, 1958 in Sofia ) was a Bulgarian artist (painter, graphic artist, cartoonist and illustrator ), writer and educator. Important are its political and socio-critical cartoons.

Life

Ilia Beshkov was born in Dolni Dabnik in central northern Bulgaria. Between 1918 and 1920 he attended the Faculty of Law at Sofia University and then worked for a while as a teacher in Dolni Dabnik. Finally, he studied painting at the National Art Academy and became known as the " Bulgarian Daumier ". As a student, drew cartoons for magazines such as Beshkov Maskarad, Div Dyado, Balgaran, Starshel and Vik, as well as for publishers TF Chipev and Hemus. From 1925 he worked with the Pladne magazine and was imprisoned twice for his political views. He founded the newspaper Sturshel ( the hornet ) in 1940 and published in her under a pseudonym. One of his most famous cartoon characters was Spekulanta Maks. From 1945 he taught as a professor of drawing, Illustration and Print Design at the National Art Academy in Sofia. In 1952 he became dean of the Department of Graphics and guided him until his death in 1958.

Beshkov influenced and inspired subsequent generations of Bulgarian artists and writers. The Art Gallery in Pleven is named after him.

Ilia Beshkovs older brother was the politician Ivan Beschkow, who was convicted and executed in 1945 by the Communist People's Court to death.