Magnificent Icons in Bulgaria

In recent years there has been a conspicuous rise in the public and scholarly interest in the history of the icon, resulting in exhibitions and new books. I am sure that the importance of this publication will be to open up a whole new range of readers to the importance of what can be seen in Bulgaria. What is excellent about the captions is that Georgi Parpulov, who is an internationally recognized authority on Byzantine and Bulgarian art, give a great deal of evidence in a short and succinct manner. Information is given about the state of painting and where there have been later restorations and repairs, and in some case re-painting.
Also valuable is that the original inscriptions on the icons have been transcribed, and their contents well laid out. All are dated, and these attributions are well considered and accurate, despite the well-known difficulties of dating Orthodox church icons. The photographic printing for this book is excellent, and certainly makes the quality of the works chosen stand out. I am sure that this book will become a landmark in the appreciation of icons in Bulgaria, and it will renew interest in their importance. My firm and solid view is that the publication of this book would be a major event in art historical studies and that it will rightly demonstrate the importance of these works in Bulgaria for a new readership.

Robin Cormack Professor Emeritus in the History of Art, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London