One of the most interesting collections in the National Gallery depository of graphic art is that of Western European prints from the archives of Zahariy Zograph (1810–1853), the first secular artist of the Bulgarian National Revival epoch. It includes almost 1,000 graphic works, some of which have been assembled into book blocks. The collection represents most of the major schools or names, trends, genres and themes in European print graphics between the 16th and 18th centuries, with examples by internationally renowned printmakers whose works are to be found in restigious museums around the world. This makes it extremely rare not only for Bulgaria, but also globally. It was originally established by Hristo Dimitrov (1745–1819), the father of the famous family of painters from Samokov. Subsequently, his son Zahariy continued to add to the collection.

Unique in its nature, ‘Western European Prints from the Zahariy Zograph Archives’ at the National Gallery is the first private collection of artworks of its kind in Bulgaria. The key questions it raises are how and why the oldest collection of Western European art in Bulgaria was set up. It further addresses the phenomenon of collecting, which, in this case, was prompted not only by
the educational and cognitive need of the Bulgarian painters of the 19th century, but also by a desire to communicate with the work of art and perceive it as an aesthetic object.

The prints now presented here are exhibited for the first time, following research into their attribution and dating. A team of National Gallery experts and students from the New Bulgarian University internship programme worked on the project, which was financed under a programme of the Ministry of Culture.