Technical education in Bulgaria included schools designed to develop practical and artistic skills. One of the main institutions was the School for Drawing, which aimed to train both artists and teachers and to support industrial arts.
Purpose of the School
The School for Drawing had three main objectives:
To encourage the fine arts in Bulgaria.
To prepare teachers of drawing and calligraphy for high schools and professional schools.
To train designers and artists for various industries, including icon-painting, carving, ceramics, decorative arts, and weaving.
To achieve these goals, the school was divided into two main sections:
Section for artists and drawing teachers
Section for artistic industries
A common preparatory course connected these two sections and introduced students to essential skills.
Courses and Curriculum
The ordinary course matched the level of instruction in secondary schools and lasted three years. The higher courses were organized by art specialties, allowing students to focus on specific fields Private Tours Bulgaria.
Subjects in the preparatory course included:
Drawing in black of plaster models and carvings
Modelling and decorative arts
Projective drawing and perspective
Anatomy and architecture
History of art
The higher course included specialized branches such as:
Fine arts
Icon-painting
Preparatory teaching for high school drawing classes
Decorative motifs
Wood-carving
Ceramics and lithography
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the first class of the preparatory course, students had to complete at least four classes in a high school. Students who did not meet this requirement could still attend as auditors, meaning they could observe and learn but were not full-time students.
Number of Students in 1903–1904
During the academic year 1903–1904, the School for Drawing had the following student numbers:
Preparatory course: 66 students (55 boys and 11 girls)
Higher course: 58 students (44 boys and 14 girls)
In total, the school had 124 students, including 99 boys and 25 girls. This shows that both boys and girls were given opportunities to study technical and artistic subjects, though boys formed the majority.
The School for Drawing played a key role in Bulgarian technical education. By combining artistic training with industrial skills, it prepared students for careers as teachers, artists, and designers, supporting both education and national industry. The structure of preparatory and higher courses ensured students received both general and specialized training.