- Kyril Vassilev
Kyril Petrov Vassilev (
May 24 ,1908 inRussia –June 23 ,1987 in theUnited States ) was a world-renowned portrait painter of royalty and American society during the mid-20th century. His parents wereBulgaria n and stated that he started painting when he was 3 years old.At the age of 16, Vassilev received his first important portrait commission to paint Bulgaria's Secretary of War,
War Lazaroff . He then enrolled in theBulgarian Academy of Sciences . In 1927, he was selected to paint the official portrait of Bulgaria's King Boris.In 1929, he completed his masterpiece portrait of the Archbishop
Angelo Roncalli , then thepapal nuncio to Bulgaria [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DD1039F936A15755C0A961948260 KYRIL P. VASSILEV - New York Times ] ] . The Archbishop later becamePope John XXIII . This is the only portrait of Pope John XXIII in his bishop's robe. Vassilev kept the portrait and later rejected an offer of $250,000 for the life-sized oil painting.Vassilev continued to establish himself as a world-famous portrait artist. He moved to the
United States in 1937. He also established a studio in West Palm Beach, where he continued to paint political officials and socialites such as Helen Rich [ [http://www.aspireauctions.com/auction63/details/13318.html Aspire Auctions -Kyril P. Vassilev (Bulgarian, 1908-1987) ] ] . His friendships includedErnest Hemingway , PresidentHarry S. Truman andJack Dempsey .In 1948, Vassilev painted a portrait of American president, Harry S. Truman [ [http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/displayimage.php?pointer=3403&people=Truman%2C+Harry+S.%2C+1884-1972%3B+Vassilev%2C+Kyril%2C+1908-1987&listid=0 Kyril Vassilev painting Mr. Truman's portrait ] ] , which hangs in the Truman Presidential Museum & Library. Vassilev's famous clients included King
Peter II of Yugoslavia and King Michael ofRomania .In 1989, Norton Gallery of Art in
West Palm Beach, Florida , held a retrospective of his work [ [http://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!387109!0 Kyril Vassilev 1908-1987 : a retrospective exhibition : February 2-March 12, 1989 ] ] .Vassilev died on
June 23 ,1987 of a heart attack.References
External links
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DD1039F936A15755C0A961948260 New York Times obituary]
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