Bistra Vinarova

Bistra Vinarova was a Bulgarian artist and often credited as the first Bulgarian woman of the expressionist style. Trained in Bulgaria, Germany, and later Austria, she had wide acquaintance among the avant-garde literary and artistic figures in the early part of the twentieth century. Married to a diplomat, her career was interrupted by travel and hostess duties. After her return to Bulgaria in 1940, she resumed painting. For a period of time, she and her husband were both ostracized by the political regime, but late in life, she was honored with several national honors for her artistic works.