Anastas Karastoyanov (1822 – 1880), Renaissance prints of the 19th century., “Mother of God”

Anastas Karastoyanov (1822 – 1890) was born in Samokov in 1822. He studied glyptic under D. Antikarya and printing under J. Prainin from Baden-Baden, living in Samokov. He works in his father Nikola Karastoyanov’s printing house and helps him cut engravings. In 1848, he compiled Erminia, considered the first guide to graphic techniques in Bulgaria. Court photographer in Belgrade in the period 1862 – 1865. Photographed a number of Bulgarian revolutionaries – Vasil Levski, Stefan Karadzha, Panayot Hitov, Angel Kanchev, Ilio Voivoda, etc. He died in Sofia in 1880.