The Virgin 

This is 'The Virgin' by Sirak Skitnik, though we don't have a date for it. The artist was part of the Bulgarian avant-garde at the beginning of the twentieth century, so it's likely this was made sometime between 1910 and 1930. The subject matter, the Virgin Mary, is of course traditional, a common motif in the Orthodox Christian art of Bulgaria. However, the rendering is anything but. The artist flattens the picture plane and simplifies the figures into geometric forms. He uses bold outlines and a muted palette. We might see influences here from both Expressionism and Byzantine icons. Skitnik was interested in folk art and national identity. He was concerned with what Bulgarian art should look like in the modern era. Research into his political and cultural associations would help us better understand this painting and the way it sought to challenge existing artistic and social norms.