Graphic Works
Thrakian dance [Trakiski tanc, bulg.], 1924
ink, cardboard, 36 x 41 cm
National Art Gallery Sofia, Inv. Nr. 1450
Along with his career as a painter Ivan Milev began already in 1918 his collaboration with various newspapers and journals. His first carricatur was published in 1918 in the newspaper "Balgaran" (nr. 3). Other works of his appeared in the journal "Cerven Smjach" (1920, nr. 46, 47; 1921, nr. 7, 35, 37, 39). Drawings of his were printed in the journal "Maskarad" (1922, nr. 3; 1923, nr. 11; 1924, nr. 2,3) and in "Vestnik na zenata" (1926, nr. 221, 224). During the first half of 1924 Ivan Milev collaborated closely with the journal "Ek", designing the covers of the editions 1 to 6.
Ivan Milev illustrated and decorated also a number of literary publications of the time like the cover of Edgar Alan Poe's "Fantasies" (1922), Heinz Hans Ewer's "Terror" (1922), the "Blue Chrysantems" by Svetoslav Minkov (1922). In 1923 he illustrated "Arena" by Lamar, which was printed in 303 copies. He also designed the cover to Emilian Popdimitrov's collections of poems "Ships" (1924). Finally, in 1926, he decorated and illustrated "Antology for children" by Dora Gabe.
The artistic and stylistic features of Ivan Milev's graphic works are very close to those of the paintings of the second period (1920 - 1925). The graphics appear painterly, dominated by the large and swinging line of European Art Nouveau. However, these are characteristics to be widely used in Bulgarian graphic works of the 1920s.