T.G. Shevchenko as an artist

Among the galaxy of figures of Ukrainian culture, Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko (1814-1861) has a special place. Shevchenko was endowed with many character traits: an ardent love of freedom, great hard work, a thirst to learn, a wide range of interests, and a subtle knowledge of human psychology. If you multiply this wealth of luck by talent in poetic word and in the visual arts, then the phenomenal nature of him as a person and an artist will become clear.

When you get acquainted with the events of Shevchenko's life, you may get the impression that they are like a chain of accidents that could break off anywhere. Indeed, the whim of the landowner Engelhardt to take himself as a “Cossack” on a trip to Svobodnaya and St. Petersburg of the early orphaned Taras, and the meeting in the Summer Garden with Ivan Soshenko, and the work of Vasily Shiryaev to paint the interiors of St. Petersburg theaters, and the dramatic circumstances of the redemption from serfdom, finally , joining the class of Karl Bryullov at the Academy of Arts - these “steps” of Shevchenko’s growth seem to rest on the unsteady ground of a coincidence.

Young Shevchenko came to St. Petersburg on foot in 1831, having overcome, together with other Engelhardt serfs, hundreds of miles through the deep snows of the Baltic states and the Russian North. From the harsh winter of 1831 began his long life in the capital, full of struggle for existence, an undying desire to become free, to learn to be a professional artist.

At that time, Taras had enough reasons for despair, but he did not succumb to it. With his abilities in poetry and drawing, hard work and kind, lively disposition, the Ukrainian serf aroused not only curiosity among leading Russian cultural figures, but also a desire to practically help him.

The dramatic epic of Shevchenko’s ransom from serfdom is worthy of surprise, in which the polar forces of the then Russia sharply clashed: the arrogant soul merchant Engelhardt, who personified the serfdom system, and the democratically minded artists V. Zhukovsky, O. Venetsianov, Bryullov, I. Soshenko, V. Grigorovich and others, those who wanted the young man to receive education and freedom.

Having become free, Shevchenko did not lose a single day. Poetry, drawing, painting completely filled him. He literally reveled in creativity. Shevchenko was admitted to the Society for the Encouragement of Artists (1835) and the Academy of Arts (1838).

During seven years of study, not only student works, but also completed, mature works came out of his brush, pencil, engraving pen and etching needle. During his studies, Taras Grigorievich was awarded silver medals three times. Long before the official title of free artist was granted in March 1845, Shevchenko was already working at the level of a professional master.

Civic and artistic maturity beyond his years is noticeable in his literary creativity. It was during the period of academic studies that he wrote such masterpieces as the poems “Haydamaki”, “Dream”, “Owl”, and published the first collection of poems “Kobzar” in 1840.

The entire poetic and part of the artistic heritage of the St. Petersburg period is thematically connected with Ukraine, although between 1830-1843 he never managed to visit his native land.

A visit to Ukraine in 1843 was decisive in Shevchenko’s choice of further life path- work with words and brushes for your people. Having graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts in March 1845, he immediately moved to Ukraine, settled in Kyiv and accepted an offer to be an artist of the Archaeographic Commission at the university.

Shevchenko's creative and life plans were suddenly cut short. Following the denunciation of an agent provocateur, on April 5, 1847, he was arrested as a member of a secret political organization - the Cyril and Methodius Society. Notebooks with “seditious” poems and an album with Kyiv sketches were confiscated from him, which fell into the hands of the Kyiv governor and disappeared without a trace. These papers became incriminating documents against Shevchenko. They were reported to the king himself. The sentence was harsh: exile as an ordinary soldier in a separate Orenburg corps. There Shevchenko was kept under the strictest supervision and was forbidden to write or draw.

The impressionable poet and artist took the cruel blow of fate painfully. The investigation, interrogations, and related experiences affected both the state of health and appearance. The sadness of anxiety and suffering was reflected in the self-portraits that Shevchenko created in exile. However, his poetic and artistic creativity continued in Orenburg.

They remembered his fate both in Ukraine and in St. Petersburg. After the death of Tsar Nicholas I, at the request of the vice-president of the Academy of Arts, Shevchenko was released. With poor health, but not broken spiritually, in 1857 he arrived in St. Petersburg. He did not spare his poor health at all, working with amazing determination and perseverance. He prepared a new edition of “Kobzar”, concluded “A primer and textbooks on history and arithmetic for Ukrainian schools, wrote new poems and poems, painted portraits.

In the winter of 1860-1861, Taras Grigorievich’s health condition deteriorated sharply. On March 10 (February 26, old style), 1861, he died. He was buried first at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg. According to his will, the ashes were transported to Ukraine in the spring of the same year and buried in Kanev on high bank Dnieper, not far from the places where he was born and raised.

Shevchenko’s creative heritage is a new and bright page in the history of Ukrainian artistic culture. A subtle sense of contemporary reality was combined with knowledge of world and domestic history. Developed intuition regarding earlier times and modern reality gave him the opportunity to fill old images with new content.

From archival documents and personal testimonies of Shevchenko, it is known how diligently he studied. In the development of Shevchenko’s professional skills, the leading role was played by the outstanding Russian painter Karl Bryullov (1799-1852), who was not only Shevchenko’s teacher, but also his senior friend; in 1839, Taras Grigorievich lived with Bryullov for some time.

Shevchenko’s achievements in the field of painting and graphic portrait. He performed about 150 works of this genre, half of which were created before his exile. In them one can feel the romantic concept of man, which at the end of the 18th century. and in the first half of the 19th century. dominated the work of many European artists.

Shevchenko fell in love watercolor drawing even in the pre-academic period of his life, having certain skills in it, and perhaps even his first achievements. He achieved this through numerous exercises and copying.

A number of portraits show Shevchenko’s desire to emphasize the harmonious essence of man, to reveal her moral, intellectual and physical perfection. For him, man is the measure of all things: the artist sees in her only the beautiful and lofty. And at the same time, before the viewer there are not carefree faces, but purposeful characters, strong-willed natures. Temperament and peace, impulse and goodwill - images shrouded in a romantic haze are built on these psychological registers.

The facial expressions in the portraits of 30-40 year olds are marked by a certain mystery, embodied primarily in the soulful glances. His concept of man is based on social and moral prerequisites: civic honesty, the hero’s devotion to democratic ideals, moral purity, that is, on the basis of the then widespread progressive romanticism.

Shevchenko received a lot of useful things from the Russian portrait school. There are also features in his works that relate to Western European classic portraiture. Based on the outstanding achievements and stylistic certainty of the art of his era, he developed his own view of man. His models are, as a rule, friends and acquaintances. The personal note in his works is very strong. It is expressed in a careful “drawing” of luck and mood; it is also confirmed by means of expressiveness - silky washes of watercolor, delicate flows of oil paints. Looking for appropriate shades and transitions of tones to convey the freshness of young faces (Maevskaya, Zakrevskaya, Keykuatova, Gorlenko), sharp, sudden or elegiac views (oil self-portrait, Lizogub, Rudzinsky, Lukomsky, Kulish), he strives to fuse the romantic appearance of his heroes with their internal content. Instant feelings that are recorded by a turn of the head or a glance are not random impulses, but exponents of character.

One of the pinnacles of his search is the sepia “Kazakh Katya” (1856-1857), which gives a typical image of a girl at the moment of insight, realizing herself as a representative of her people. At the same time, in this girl, who, blocking the flickering light of the night lamp with her hand, peers at the bizarre, mysterious ornaments of the tombstones of her ancestors, one can see an echo of something common in the first half of the 19th century. “cemetery romanticism” with its hidden visions, “terrible” plots. Shevchenko managed to give the scene a deep humanistic period.

A special place in Shevchenko’s portraiture is occupied by self-portraits, in which he captured himself at different times of his life, in different moods and experiences, but certainly with deep, sincere introspection, with psychological richness. In the artist's self-portraits of all periods of creativity - from a youth of Byron's mood and appearance, to a hard-won, but adamant middle-aged husband - lies a great power of typification.

Other genres fine arts, in which Shevchenko’s legacy was quite significant, there is a historical composition and illustration for works of domestic and world classics.

What is striking is the rather independent visual interpretation of literary subjects.

The watercolor “Gypsy Fortune Teller” (1841) can be considered one of the programmatic works of Shevchenko the writer of everyday life. This is a story about how a young girl decided to resort to fortune telling by a gypsy regarding her future destiny. The artist gives a fairly clear description of the characters, carefully drawing out their character traits - a trusting, simple-minded girl and a talkative fortune teller. With a double feeling of fear and hope, even afraid to look at her “prophetess,” the black-haired beauty waits for her “sentence.” Shevchenko expressed this entire situation, full of everyday details, in a typical scene from folk life.

Shevchenko's legacy is a huge achievement of the entire Ukrainian artistic culture. Shevchenko determined the directions for the development of literature and fine arts of Ukraine along the paths of humanism, nationality, and the struggle for a better lot for people.

Shevchenko's fame survived the era in which he lived. His immortal works and today he highly values ​​progressive humanity, his name is known throughout the world.

Notes

Shevchenko artist self-portrait introspection

1. Andrushchenko, T. Artistic innovation of Shevchenko / T. Andrushchenko // Fine art. - 2005. - No. 1. - P. 49-51.

2. Verikovskaya, I. New stage artistic Shevchenko studies / I. Verikovskaya // Literary Ukraine. - 2006. - No. 25. - P. 1, 4.

3. Voitovich, V. Taras Shevchenko-artist / V. Voitovich // Russian language and literature. - 2009. - No. 8. - P. 3-4.

5. Krasitsky, D.F. Taras the artist [Text]: stories about the youth of T.G. Shevchenko. - K.: Raduga, 1973. - 140 p.

6. Ogonovska, S. Gallery works of art T. Shevchenko // Divoslovo. - 2004. - No. 5. - P.9-12.

, buy artist's paintings on canvas

Shevchenko Taras Grigorievich(February 25 (March 9) 1814 - February 26 (March 10) 1861) Ukrainian artist, poet, prose writer, ethnographer, academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts, representative realism .

Shevchenko Taras Born in the village of Morintsy, Zvenigorod district, Kyiv province, in the large family of Grigory Ivanovich Shevchenko, a serf peasant of the landowner P.V. Engelhardt. Two years later, Taras’s parents moved to the village of Kirilovka. His mother died in 1823; in the same year, the father married a second time to a widow who had three children. Up to 9 years of age Taras was in the care of his older sister Catherine. In 1825, when Shevchenko was in his 12th year, his father died. After the death of his father, an independent life began Taras: first he served with a sexton-teacher, then in the surrounding villages with sexton-painters (“bogomazov”, that is, icon painters). At the school of the sexton-teacher Shevchenko I learned to read and write, and from the painters I learned basic drawing techniques. In the sixteenth year of his life, in 1829, he became one of the servants of the landowner Engelhardt, first as a cook, then as a Cossack servant. The passion for painting never left him. Noticing abilities Taras, during his stay in Vilna, Engelhardt gave Shevchenko to study as a teacher at Vilna University, portrait painter Jan Rustem. In Vilna Shevchenko stayed for about a year and a half, and with the move to St. Petersburg at the beginning of 1831, Engelhardt, intending to make his serf a home painter, sent him in 1832 to study with “various painting craftsman guild master” V. Shiryaev. In 1836, while sketching statues in the Summer Garden, Shevchenko met his fellow countryman, the artist I. M. Soshenko, who, after consulting with the Ukrainian writer E. Grebenka, introduced Taras to the conference secretary of the Academy of Arts V. I. Grigorovich, the artists A. Venetsianov and K. Bryullov, and the poet V. Zhukovsky. Sympathy for the young man and recognition of the talent of the Ukrainian serf from the outside prominent figures Russian culture played a decisive role in the matter of redeeming him from captivity. In April 1838, a lottery was held in St. Petersburg at the Anichkov Palace, and the winning prize was Bryullov’s painting “V. A. Zhukovsky.” The proceeds from the lottery went to ransom the serf. Shevchenko Taras. As a sign of special respect and deep gratitude to Zhukovsky, Shevchenko dedicated one of his largest works to him - the poem "Katerina". Same year Taras Shevchenko entered the Academy of Arts, where he became a student and friend of Bryullov. Years 1840—1846— best in life Shevchenko. During this period his poetic talent flourished. In 1840, a small collection of his poems was published under the title “Kobzar”; in 1842 "Haydamaki" was published - its largest poetic work. In 1843 Shevchenko received a degree as a freelance artist; in the same year, while traveling around Ukraine, he met Princess V.N. Repnina. In 1842, "Katherine" was painted - the only surviving oil painting from the Academic period. The painting was created on the theme poem of the same name artist. Shevchenko I tried to make the picture clear and understandable and encourage sympathy. Taras Shevchenko one of the first in the art of classicism to depict a pregnant woman, generalizing the image of his heroine to the level of a certain symbol that speaks of the metahistorical fate of an entire nation. Although Shevchenko has not yet moved away from academicism in the construction of the composition, the depiction of human figures and landscapes in this work, the ideological orientation of the painting makes it a real milestone in the development of critical realism in Ukrainian art. Shevchenko for several months 1845-1846. worked as a staff artist for archaeological research of the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission under Kiev University. By the time of stay Shevchenko in Kyiv (1846) refers to his rapprochement with N.I. Kostomarov. Same year Shevchenko Taras joined the Cyril and Methodius Society, which was then formed in Kyiv, consisting of young people interested in the development of Slavic peoples, in particular Ukrainian. The participants of this circle, including 10 people, were arrested, accused of creating a political organization and suffered various punishments, with the most Shevchenko for his poem "The Dream". By the decision of the Third Department, approved by the Emperor himself, on May 30, 1847, the 33-year-old Shevchenko Taras Grigorievich due to conscription duty he was assigned to military service as a private in the Separate Orenburg Corps, located in the Orenburg region (the territory of modern Orenburg region Russia and the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan), “under the strictest supervision of the authorities” with a ban on writing and drawing. Orsk fortress, where the recruit first arrived Shevchenko, represented a deserted outback. “It’s rare,” Shevchenko wrote, “one can come across such a characterless terrain. Flat and flat. The location is sad, monotonous, skinny rivers Ural and Or, naked gray mountains and the endless Kyrgyz steppe...” Shevchenko sent Zhukovsky a touching letter asking for only one favor - the right to draw. In this sense, Count Gudovich and Count A. Tolstoy worked for Shevchenko; but it turned out to be impossible to help Shevchenko. The ban on drawing was not lifted until the very end of the service. In 1848-1849 some consolation was given Shevchenko participation in an expedition to study Aral Sea. Thanks to Due to the humane attitude towards the soldier of General Obruchev and especially Lieutenant Butakov, Shevchenko was instructed to sketch views of the Aral coast and local folk types for the expedition report. However, this violation became known in St. Petersburg; Obruchev and Butakov were reprimanded, and Shevchenko sent to a new desert slum - the military fortification of Novopetrovskoye - with a repeated ban on drawing. He was in Novopetrovsky from October 17, 1850 to August 2, 1857, that is, until the end of his service. Without being able to draw, Shevchenko He was engaged in modeling and tried photography, which, however, was very expensive at that time. Liberation Shevchenko took place in 1857 thanks to the persistent petitions of the vice-president of the Academy of Arts, Count F. P. Tolstoy and his wife Countess A. I. Tolstoy. With long stops in Astrakhan and Nizhny Novgorod Shevchenko He returned along the Volga to St. Petersburg and here, in freedom, he became completely interested in poetry and art. Attempts to establish a family home by marrying actress Piunova and peasant servants Kharita and Lukerya were unsuccessful. Almost all of his time, free from numerous literary and artistic acquaintances, dinner parties and evenings, Shevchenko gave it to engraving. In 1859, Shevchenko visited Ukraine. In April 1859 Shevchenko, presenting some of his engravings to the discretion of the Council of the Academy of Arts, asked to be awarded the title of academician or to set a program for receiving this title. On April 16, the Council decided to recognize him “appointed as an academician and set a program for the title of academician in copper engraving.” September 2, 1860, along with the painters A. Beideman, Iv. Bornikov, V. Pukirev and others, Shevchenko Taras Grigorievich was awarded the academician's degree in engraving "respect for art and knowledge of the arts." Died Shevchenko Taras Grigorievich in St. Petersburg on February 26 (March 10), 1861 from dropsy. He was buried first at the Smolensk Orthodox cemetery in St. Petersburg, and after 58 days a coffin with ashes T. G. Shevchenko, in accordance with his Will, was transported to Ukraine and buried on Chernechya Mountain near Kanev.

Landscapes, household painting.

The flourishing of Ukrainian fine art begins with the creativity of T. G. Shevchenko. For the first time in his works great power New themes and social motives, acute social problems of the then reality, began to emerge.

In 1838, Taras Shevchenko entered the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and became a student of Karl Bryullov. The first genre painting was “A Boy - a Beggar Sharing Alms with a Dog Under a Fence” (1839), for which the artist was awarded a silver medal. Two years later, the work "" appears (1840).

T. G. Shevchenko “Boy with a dog in the forest” (1840). Paper, sepia

Portraiture

Like most Ukrainian artists first half of the 19th century century, portrait was the main genre in the work of Taras Shevchenko. The early portraits show features of progressive romanticism. Ideological meaning romantic portraits - love for freedom, faith in the calling of man as a creative, harmoniously developed personality.

The artist depicted people as inspired, beautiful, highly appreciating the plastic completeness of the structure human body and considering the face illuminated by happiness to be a deity of immortal beauty.

There are 150 known portraits by the great artist - these are » Self-portrait"(1840 - 1841), portraits of Mayevskaya, Gorlenko, Lizoguba and many others. In the energetic turn of the head of the “Self-Portrait”, in the look of young lively eyes, in the sharply defined line of the lips, both the romantic orientation of the personality and nobility are expressed. Particularly exquisite strokes highlight the face, hands and hairstyle.

The first self-portrait of Taras Shevchenko (1840)

Shevchenko's works are characterized by expressive plasticity, lighting and correct colorist. By dosing the intensity of the watercolor stroke, he achieves a feeling of silkiness on the surface of the painting. Taras Shevchenko paints in oil and pencil. During this period, he painted mostly people his own age, and thus created a psychological portrait of the youth of this period. However, arrest and exile abruptly ended the romantic note in his work.

In 1845, Shevchenko graduated from the Academy of Arts, and subsequently worked at the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission. Traveling around Ukraine in 1843 - 1845, Taras Shevchenko through the eyes mature master I saw the beauty of my native land and gained a new appreciation for this beauty and the terrible living conditions of the people. Of great interest are genre paintings » In the apiary" and "Rural family".

T. G. Shevchenko “In the apiary” (1843) Oil on canvas

Masterfully composed, worked out in detail, rich in color, sense of harmony and light and shade, landscapes in watercolor “Gypsy - a witch.” In the picture" Katerina“The simplicity of the landscape background emphasizes the beauty of the native land and the charm of the young Ukrainian woman.

T. G. Shevchenko “Katerina” (1842)

Landscapes in the works of Shevchenko.

The archaeographic commission instructed Taras Shevchenko to sketch and describe in detail ancient structures and ancient burial mounds. During this period, the artist completed many drawings, studies and sketches, among which are the following:

• » Ascension Cathedral in Pereyaslav«

T. G. Shevchenko “Ascension Cathedral in Pereyaslav” (1845). Watercolor.

• » Askold's grave«

T. G. Shevchenko “Askold’s grave” (1846). Watercolor.

• » Bogdanov Church in Subotov«

T. G. Shevchenko “Bogdanov Church in Subotov” (1845). Paper, watercolor

• » Pochaev Lavra«

T. G. Shevchenko “Pochaev Lavra from the south” (1846)

• "Chigirin from Subotovskaya road"
• » Chumaks among the graves«

T. G. Shevchenko “Chumaks among the graves” (1846 - 1847).

Kazakh period

T. G. Shevchenko “Fire in the steppe” (1848 - 1849)

The beauty of the sky becomes very important for the artist. The drama of the sky is expressed in the following landscapes:

• » Fort Kara - Butak«,

T. G. Shevchenko "Fort Kara - Butak"

• "Rustam's grave"
• "Fortification of Raim"
• "The lower shore of the island of St. Nicholas"

The Kazakh landscapes of Taras Shevchenko complete the evolution of the Ukrainian romantic landscape from chamber works to works of an epic and dramatic nature. The work of T. G. Shevchenko acquires completely new features - interest in the history of his native people.

Historical compositions of Taras Shevchenko.

• » Gifts in Chigirin"(1844) - Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky accepts gifts from foreign ambassadors at the Chihyryn residence.

T. G. Shevchenko “Gifts in Chigirin 1649”. Paper, etching

• » Judicial Council"(1844) - a depiction of a collective discussion of matters of public importance.

T. G. Shevchenko “Judicial Council” (1844)

• » Headmen"(1844) - the scene of the creation of a future family by mutual consent of a guy and a girl in love.

T. G. Shevchenko “Starosta” (1844). Paper, etching

Folk motifs in the artist’s work

The series of etchings expresses the idea of ​​eternal values, unshakable moral principles based on composition free choice, about respect human dignity and justice, about the development of folk ethics.

In the early 40s of the 19th century, Taras Shevchenko great attention paid attention to the depiction of life common people, everyday scenes, folk holidays and customs. Among the works of this period one can highlight the paintings "Rural Family", "Katerina" and " Gypsy - witch«.

T. G. Shevchenko "Gypsy - a witch" (1841). Paper, watercolor

In a series of drawings » Parable about prodigal son"(1856 - 1857) the author introduces subtle humor and political satire, which was also a new and unusual trend for that time.

Taras Shevchenko is rightfully considered the founder of critical realism in. The artist worked in the genres of painting, graphics, monumental - decorative painting and watercolors. In addition, he was fluent in technology. oil painting, watercolors, etchings, drew with pencil and pen.

T. G. Shevchenko “Rural Family” (1843). Oil on canvas

He is called the Ukrainian Rembrandt, and in in a creative manner they see similarities with the features of the painting style of Gauguin, Delacroix, Van Gogh; in terms of the level of his attempts in sculpture, he was not inferior to Rodin. A poet of an entire nation for several centuries and an outstanding figure in the historical and cultural process of Ukraine, an example to follow for many generations. Painter, master of etching and graphics, prose writer and poet, illustrator, talented representative epistolary genre, in addition to everything, he was a man of broad views, a philosopher and educator. We present to your attention interesting facts and unknown works of Shevchenko the artist.

Words or paints: where did Shevchenko’s creativity begin?

Although Taras Shevchenko became famous as a world famous Ukrainian poet, the first steps in artistic attempts were drawings. Researchers of Kobzar’s life note that his development as an artist began in 1830, but the early period of literary creativity dates back to 1837.

From serfs to artists 45 kilograms of silver. It was his talent for drawing that played a decisive role in freeing Kobzar from lifelong service to the landowner. In the spring of 1838, Vasily Zhukovsky and Karl Bryullov bought young artist from the serf 2500 rubles, which at the exchange rate of that time was 45 kilograms of silver.

He held the position of artist in the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission, in connection with which he traveled to the Poltava region and Volyn, where he sketched ancient monuments. During this period (1845 - 1847), architectural motifs became the leading motifs in painting.

He became famous as a talented illustrator. Among the illustrations, a portrait based on the poem “Maria” by A. Pushkin occupies a special place. The heroine of the plot is Motrya Kochubey, the daughter of the judge general under Ivan Mazepa, who had warm romantic feelings with the hetman.

Known as the founder everyday genre in Ukrainian painting. Portraits occupy a prominent place in Shevchenko’s work. They are distinguished by a successful composition, rich colors, the heroes of the paintings are depicted in natural, relaxed poses. Researchers note that the poet’s works in this genre are especially successful.

Shevchenko devoted almost his entire adult life to painting and graphics. Don’t forget that it was his talent for drawing that opened the way to freedom for him and became his ticket to the artistic elite. During 25 years of serfdom and 10 years of exile, he wrote. He painted in watercolors, pencil, oil, and ink. 835 works - this is exactly the number of works that Shevchenko completed in the fine arts. In general, Kobzar created more than 1000 paintings over 30 years (from 1830 to 1861). About 278 paintings are considered lost.

He painted in all genres, mastered all the techniques of etching, painting, and drawing known at that time. He began and became the first representative of critical realism in the fine arts of Ukraine. IN National Museum Taras Shevchenko we can see portraits and compositions on historical, mythological and household topics, natural and architectural landscapes made in oil, watercolor, sepia, ink, and pencil. Also, numerous examples of etchings made on paper, sketches, and sketches have survived to this day.

He created a holistic and symbolic image of women in literature and paintings.

Subject female destiny a through line runs through all periods of literary creativity. It is not surprising that in the fine arts, women's drama is reflected in famous paintings.

In 1842 it was created famous work Ukrainian painting- portrait “Catherine”, painted based on the poem of the same name. Except tragic image women, Shevchenko also depicts the fate of the enslaved people. The composition is full of symbols - a horseman in military uniform soldier Russian Empire means the autocracy of the monarchy that oppressed the Ukrainian people for centuries, coded in the form of a barefoot girl with her head bowed obediently. At the same time, in the lower right corner there is a peasant depicted, in whose image researchers see the personification of the freedom-loving spirit of the people.

History on Shevchenko's canvases

During early period creativity is interested in history and creates compositions based on subjects from ancient history, stories Kievan Rus and Ukraine.

The subject of the composition was an episode of internecine struggle. We see the last minutes of the life of Oleg, who died in 977 at the hands of his brother Yaropolk, the prince of Kyiv.

As you may have guessed, the plot centers on the sick Alexander the Great next to his doctor. Let us also add that behind the story, at this time the commander received a warning note about the doctor’s evil intentions to poison him. As we see, trust turned out to be stronger than doubt and intrigue.

Kobzar’s interest in dramatic stories was reflected not only in literary creativity, but also in the visual arts. From the first early works it becomes clear that the artist loves to depict turning points in a person’s fate, to draw a psychological portrait of a person and his mood. He is also interested important milestones in the history of the Ukrainian people. Indicative in this regard is the painting “The Death of Bohdan Khmelnitsky,” painted during 1836 - 1837. The composition is based on the People's Duma about Khmelnytsky and historical literature available to Shevchenko.

In the first period of creativity, Shevchenko covered almost all genres. He creates several group portraits household themes, painted in watercolors. These canvases are distinguished by the richness of their colors and the deep psychological nature of their depiction. Among famous paintings- “The Dream of Grandmother and Granddaughter”, “Woman in Bed”, “Interrupted Date”, “Nature Model”, “Gypsy Fortune Teller”

While studying at the academy, he discovered an interest in the exotic orient and in 1843 he painted the extremely bright and technically perfect painting “In the Harem.”

But no matter how colorful and bewitching the scenes from eastern life were, real admiration was aroused by the life of the dear peasants in the poet’s homeland. And during his travels around Ukraine, he more than once saw such an idyllic plot, which he depicted oil paints in the composition “Peasant Family”.

Series of etchings “Picturesque Ukraine”: what was achieved

In one of the letters to his friend, Taras Shevchenko wrote: “... I want to draw our Ukraine (...) I will draw it in three books, and in the first there will be views, either by their beauty or by history, and in the second real human life, and in the third story.” These plans were not destined to come true, since in 1847 Taras Shevchenko, a member of the secret Cyril and Methodius Society, was arrested.

According to the artist’s plan, the thematic series of prints “Picturesque Ukraine” should contain a total of 12 drawings. But due to lack of funds and obstacles, in 1844 it was possible to release only 6 etchings: “In Kyiv”, “Vydubitsky Monastery”, “Elders”, “Judicial Council”, “Fairy Tale”, “Gifts in Chigirin 1649”.

The graphics evoked admiration for their talented execution, well-drawn details, and a romantic reflection of the beauty of nature. Native, Ukrainian landscapes with willows bent over the waters of the Dnieper, a well with crystal clean water, grandfather, who lies by the road - all paintings by Ukrainian summer days the author depicted it poetically and with inspiration, and it couldn’t have been any other way, because the creation of prints was inspired by his love for his dear land, for his homeland.

Portraits of women in an impressionistic manner

Shevchenko, long before the impressionists, retreated from the academic style of painting. One has only to look at his female portraits once, and the fresh, color-saturated outline of the drawing catches the eye, the model’s body seems to be moving, and the composition itself is full of sensuality and femininity. The brightness of the colors and the peculiar combination of shades bring Shevchenko closer to Van Gogh, this is especially noticeable in “Odalisque” (“Model”).

Master portrait painter

Already from the first works on historical topics, one can understand that Shevchenko, not only in poetry, shows extraordinary skill, reproducing mental state, personality character. He could see the originality of each person and transferred it to canvas with delight. His depiction begins with the “Portrait of his Father,” approximately dated 1829 - 1830. The last work The Kobzar also became a portrait - “Self-Portrait 1861”.

IN general artist painted more than 150 portraits. It is believed that in watercolor portraits Ekaterina Abaza, an unknown person, fully demonstrated her talent as a portrait painter. Indeed, the heroes of the compositions seem to be alive, as if they are now sitting in front of the viewer and are about to speak. A person's character is visible in the eyes. In one glance there is a smile and interest, in another there is a sound of sadness... The artist had a unique talent to look into the soul, into its hidden corners and transfer the very essence of a person to the canvas.

Shevchenko painted more than fifty self-portraits in an original manner. Apart from Rembrandt and Van Gogh, probably no one else left so many self-portraits.

If all self-portraits are collected together in chronological order, you can easily "read" dramatic story his life. From one canvas a man full of energy and creative ideas looks at us, on another, our attention is drawn to the thoughtful gaze of an intelligent eye, and ten years later we see an aged, gray-haired poet with deep sadness in the eyes.

We have already mentioned above Kobzar’s extraordinary approach to painting and his innovative activities. In the portrait genre, the artist also sought to go beyond the usual. For the first time in Ukrainian portraiture, he depicts a person in the open air in the work “Portrait of Alexander Kotzebue” (1843).

A special place among figurative compositions is occupied by the sepia "Kazakh Katya" (1856 - 1857). Beautiful Kazakh girl in national costume holds a candle, covering the flame with his palm. This composition makes it possible to realistically depict diffused light, emphasizing the beautiful features of the face, giving the picture romance and charm. It is for this lighting and manner of depiction that Shevchenko is compared to Rembrandt.

Geography of landscapes

The geography of the drawings created over more than 30 years covers 3 countries - Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia.

About half of Taras Shevchenko's graphic and pictorial heritage consists of landscape sketches. The lyrical image of the beauty of nature permeates all areas of Kobzar’s work. He was able to notice the unusual, that which causes surprise, makes the soul either freeze or sing with full breasts... And, most importantly, he had the talent to transfer this beauty to canvas, paper, the wall of the house. While traveling, in exile, at home - everywhere he turned to the muse. His exile as part of the Aral Expedition affected his further work. The fateful appointment to the position of artist, although in captivity, allowed drawing unhindered and polished the artist’s skill as a landscape painter. The Aral Sea landscapes - “Fire in the Steppe”, “Fort Kara-Butak”, “Dustana Grave”, “Dzhangis-Agach” - are outstanding works of the master.

Another outstanding series of mountain-themed paintings was born in the Karatau mountains. An observant artist found real beauty in the harsh views of Mangyshlak, created filled sunlight compositions: “Akmish-Tau”, “Turkmen villages in Karatau”. The poetic night landscapes were also impressive: “ moonlit night among the mountains", "Rock "Monk", "Cape Tyuk-Karagay on the Mangyshlak Peninsula".

The views of Mangyshlak inspire him to create unusual stories. From the pen comes a series of landscapes “Trees of Mangyshlak” depicting trees struggling for existence, growing with their last strength among the rocks, stretching to the life-giving soil.

Admiration for trees will appear in later drawings. After traveling around Ukraine, stories were written full of dramatic sound, in which the main characters were trees - destroyed by the elements, broken. With expressive strokes, the artist reproduces not only the form, but also the soul of broken trees, embodying in them the similarity with the destinies of people.

Etchings forever or why Shevchenko became an academician

We have already mentioned etchings in the context of the “Picturesque Ukraine” series, now we invite you to learn about Shevchenko’s innovation in this technique.

Shevchenko was fond of etchings throughout creative path. This engraving technique was invented at the beginning of the 16th century. Western Europe. Such world-recognized artists as Durer, Rembrandt, Goya loved to draw etchings and created masterpieces. During Taras Shevchenko’s studies at the Academy of Arts, this technique was not studied, so he had to master it on his own, which he did brilliantly.

Shevchenko's etchings - portraits and landscapes - are distinguished by skillful shading and perfect modeling of chiaroscuro. He was the first to introduce etching into the art social topics, which no one had developed before him.

He deepened and expanded the boundaries expressive means etching, combined the techniques of etching and aquatint. For these achievements he is compared to Rembrandt. The renaissance of engraving in Ukraine took place thanks to the talent of Taras Shevchenko, for which he was awarded the title of academician of engraving; his achievements in engraving became the basis for the modernization of this type of fine art in Eastern Europe.