Ivan Enchev-Vidyu Bulgarian Folk Crosses 937

Ivan Enchev-Vidyu (1882–1936) was a Bulgarian painter, art critic, illustrator, decorator, cartoonist, scenographer, archaeologist and folklorist. He was born to a peasant family. His father was an amateur painter, which inspired Joža and his brother, František, to pursue careers in art. After completing his primary education, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, where he studied with František Čermák. After Čermák's death, he transferred to the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he was one of the founders of a Czech student organization called "Škréta" (after Karel Škréta), a group that included Alfons Mucha, Antonín Slavíček, Pavol Socháň and Luděk Marold. In 1888, he returned home and began painting scenes from peasant life. From 1892 to 1893, he was able to study in Paris, thanks to a scholarship and, in 1894, with Mucha's assistance, gave a showing at the Salon. His first major exhibition in Prague came in 1897.