Военните картички на Николай Райнов от периода на Първата световна война (1914-1918)
A Series of Wartime Postcards of the WWI (1914–1918) by Nikolai Rainov

Summary/Abstract: In 2014, the 125th anniversary of Nikolai Rainov and the 100th anniversary of the First World War were marked. The article deals with the wartime postcards designed by him in the period between 1915 and 1918 that have not been thoroughly researched for the time being. Printed in Berlin, the postcards were very popular in Bulgaria and very soon were out of print. These were just a few of all graphic printing products of this type devised and designed as intended. Technological innovations prompted the creation of the postcards and their spread into Bulgaria’s cultural life was to some degree due to the Europeanisation of this country. The postcards were deemed to be images of the memory. Holidays, cityscapes and landscapes, historical events and anniversaries were among the subjects covered by them. Depending on artistic concepts, the artworks could be divided in three types. Those of the first type are handpainted and are rarities, believed to be unique pieces of art. Those of the second type feature photos or artworks. The third type includes drawings, sketches and designs by artists developed especially for this kind of printing product. The wartime postcards dealt with and were occasioned by particular historical events such as the Balkan (1912), Inter-Allied (1913) and the First World Wars. The postcards analysed in the article are indicative of Nikolai Rainov personal aesthetic and choices in the war period. Thematically, they are grouped in several types: representing moments of soldiers’ everyday life; associated with historic battles and memorable places and extolling war heroes.

• Details
• Contents