In painting, Ukrainian culture has consistently survived the stages of Baroque, Rococo and Classicism. This influence is already evident in two portraits of 1652 of the children of B. Khmelnitsky, Timofei and Rozanda. However, the style of the initial Ukrainian painting is very diverse and unequal in skill.
Ukrainian culture of the second half of the 17th and early 18th centuries
Most of the ceremonial portraits (parsuns) of Cossack colonels who survived are painted by local Cossack craftsmen, who, however, were able to convey the mood and character of the foremen portrayed. About the realistic skill of Cossack painters, Pavel Alepsky wrote in the middle of the 17th century.
Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the paintings created by Ukrainian artists of the 18th century survived to our days. In the second half of the 17th century. schools of icon painters are already being created. The most famous examples are the murals of the Assumption Cathedral and the Trinity Gate Church in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, which have a soft, pastel form of writing. Sensuality, rounded smoothness of the lines set the audience on a somewhat melancholy mood, trying to maintain the cheerfulness of the worldview. At the same time, dramatic scenes, such as "The Expulsion of Merchants from the Temple", and especially the scenes of passions, are made with the transmission of militant tension corresponding to the turbulent era. The figures depicted in the frescoes breathed bodily and mental health, their movements lost all restraint and generally emphasized the elevated mood.
The images created by the Kiev-Pechersk art workshop became a canon, a role model in all other corners of Ukraine.
Temple painting
A characteristic component of temple painting at that time was the so-called clerical portrait. The founders (donors and elders) called the founders, donors and guardians of a particular church, as well as existing church leaders (heads of the parish council). There were a lot of such guardians in Kiev churches throughout their history. In the altar part of the Assumption Church of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, before its demolition in 1941, 85 historical figures were depicted - from the princes of Kievan Rus to Peter I (it is clear that this is far from all). The senior church hierarchs are unshakable, but the closer the historical person was to that period, the more vivid the portraits became, the more expression and personality reflected in the faces.
In the Baroque era, church iconostases, in which the icons were arranged in four or even five rows, received extraordinary splendor. The most famous of the surviving baroque iconostases of this kind are the iconostases from the churches of the Holy Spirit in Rogatin, in Galicia (mid-17th century) and the tomb of the hetman D. Apostle in Bolshoi Sorochintsy (first half of the 18th century). The top of the easel icon painting of the 17th century. there is the Bogorodchansky (Manyavsky) iconostasis, which was executed during 1698-1705. master Job Kondzelevich. Here, traditional biblical scenes are reproduced in a new way. Live real people are depicted, full of speakers, even dressed in local costumes.
Rococo style elements get into icon painting quite early, which is associated with the active use by students of the Lavra art workshop as examples of drawings by the parents of the French Rococo Watteau and Boucher, presented in student album collections. Rococo introduces great lightness and gallantry into portraits, adds characteristic small details, a fashion for the performance of female parsuns appears.
The development of classicism in art in the second half of the 17th century
In the second half of the 17th century, copper engraving developed. The development of engraving took place in close connection with the release of student theses, the needs of printing, as well as orders from panegyrics. At the same time, among the works of the Tarasevich brothers and their later colleagues, one can find not only luxurious allegorical compositions of a secular and religious nature, but also realistic engraving sketches of landscapes, seasons and agricultural works. In 1753, Empress Elizabeth issued a decree: three Ukrainian children from the court chapel, who lost their voice, should be sent to the art of science. These guys were future famous Ukrainian artists Kirill Golovachevsky, Ivan Sabluchok and Anton Losenko. Each of them made a significant contribution to the development of classic art.
Art education in Ukraine in the second half of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century
Professional art and creative training of Ukrainian masters in the 19th century took place at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and at the then popular European higher art institutions, where the main emphasis was on academicism and classicism. According to the conditions of the development of aesthetics, this had the opportunity to create resistance to the artistic development of Ukraine, to create a gap between folk and "lordly" art.
The best art paintings of Ukrainian artists of the 19th century are represented by immigrants with an academic background, and this is first of all T. Shevchenko, and then with him Napoleon Buyalsky, Maria Raevskaya-Ivanova, Nikolai and Alexander Muravyov, Ilya Repin and others who sought to create a national art school . The center for the development of cultural and artistic life was Kiev. Then began the constant formation of art schools. Kiev drawing school became one of the first art institutions, played an important role in the development of the fine arts of Ukraine. At different times, I. Levitan, M. Vrubel, V. Serov, K. Krizhitsky, S. Yareich and others studied here. Famous artists: G. Dyadchenko, A. Murashko, S. Kostenko, I. received elementary education at the school. Izhakevich, G. Svetlitsky, A. Moravov.
The art school provided thorough preparation for the creation of paintings. A museum was even founded at the institution, which received various sketches and drawings by Repin, Kramsky, Shishkin, Perov, Aivazovsky, Myasoedov, Savitsky, Orlovsky and others. The school teachers used advanced methods, which were based on the requirements for drawing from nature, strict adherence to the principle âFrom easy to more complexâ, providing an individual approach, an organic combination of special and general education, that is, focusing on the development of a comprehensive art education.
The organization of the school M. Murashko was helped by Professor P. Pavlov, the famous Russian geographer P. Semenov-Tien-Shansky, as well as local collectors of works V. Tarnovsky and I. Tereshchenko. Experienced teachers of the school at different times were M. Vrubel, I. Seleznev, V. Fabrizius, I. Kostenko, etc. The school of M. Murashko lasted until 1901, thanks to which students got the opportunity to develop their natural talent, and then get artistic education. Pupils of the Academy of Art were the future famous Ukrainian artists P. Volokidin, P. Aleshin, M. Verbitsky, V. Zabolotnaya, V. Rykov, F. Krichevsky, K. Trofimenko, A. Shovkunenko and others. Art education in Ukraine in the second half of 19- go - beginning of the 20th century represented by schools that were concentrated in Odessa, Kiev and Kharkov.
The art of Ukraine of the late 19th - early 20th centuries
A particularly prominent place in Ukrainian art belongs to T. Shevchenko, who in 1844 graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, was a student of Karl Bryullov himself, the author of the famous painting "The Last Day of Pompeii." T. Shevchenko created a number of paintings from the life of the peasantry (âGypsy Fortune Tellerâ, âKaterinaâ, âPeasant Familyâ, etc.). The poetic and artistic heritage of T. Shevchenko had a huge impact on the development of Ukrainian culture and, in particular, fine art. It determined its democratic orientation, which was clearly reflected in the work of graduates of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts L. Zhemchuzhnikov and K. Trutovsky. Konstantin Trutovsky is also known for his illustrations to the works of N. Gogol, T. Shevchenko, Marco Vovchok, he also captures the biography of the Ukrainian artist T. Shevchenko.
Later on, progressive masters shared the ideas of the âPartnership of Traveling Art Exhibitionsâ created in 1870 and its leaders: I. Kramskoy, V. Surikov, I. Repin, V. Perov. Taking an example from the Russian âWanderers,â Ukrainian artists sought in their work to use a realistic artistic language that people understand, and to show their paintings to residents of different cities. In particular, the âSociety of South Russian Artistsâ was created in Odessa, which was actively engaged in the exhibition business.
Artistic perfection and high realism are inherent in the paintings of Nikolai Pimonenko. His most famous works are âSeeing Off Recruitsâ, âHaymakingâ, âRivalsâ, âMatchmakersâ. In the historical genre A. Murashko showed his talent. He is the author of the famous painting âKoshevoyâs Funeralâ, for the central figure of which Staritsky posed. In landscape painting, Sergey Vasilkovsky showed more talent, whose work is closely connected with the Kharkov region. He opened Ukrainian painting to Europe, where he was honored to exhibit his paintings in the Paris salon âout of turnâ. A unique phenomenon in world art was the seascapes of the artist-marine painter I. Aivazovsky. The unsurpassed effect of moonlight was marked by the painting âNight on the Dnieperâ by Arkhip Kuindzhi. Remarkable masters of landscape painting were Ukrainian artists of the 19th century: S. Svetoslavsky, K. Kostandi, V. Orlovsky, I. Pokhitonov.
Constantly maintained his relationship with Ukraine Ilya Repin, who was born in Chuguev in Slobozhanshchina. Among the many works of the outstanding master, his picture âCossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultanâ occupies a special place. For this picture, in the role of a cat scribe, depicted in the center of the canvas, his comrade Dmitry Ivanovich Yavornitsky posed for the artist, who devoted his whole life to studying the history of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks and who was called for this Nestor of the Zaporizhzhya Sich. The ataman Ivan Sirko in the picture depicts General Mikhail Dragomirov.
In Galicia, the soul of national art life was a talented artist (landscape lyricist and portrait painter) Ivan Trush, Drahomanovâs son-in-law. He is the author of portraits of famous figures of Ukrainian culture I. Franko, V. Stefanik, Lysenko and others.
Thus, the entire cultural development of Ukraine took place inextricably linked with the progressive culture of the Russian people.
Painting in the 30s of the 20th century
In the 30s, Ukrainian artists continued to develop different areas of artistic thought. The classic of Ukrainian painting F. Krichevsky (âThe Wrangel Winnersâ), as well as landscape painters Karp Trokhimenko (âShots of the Dnieper Constructionâ, âKiev Harborâ, âOver the Big Wayâ, âMorning on the Farmâ) and Nikolai Burachek (âApple Trees in Bloomâ , âGolden Autumnâ, âClouds are approachingâ, âRoad to the collective farmâ, âThe Dnieper is roaring and groaning wideâ), which masterfully reproduced the state of nature depending on the characteristics of sunlight. Significant achievements of Ukrainian painting of this period are associated with the development of a portrait genre represented by such artists as: Petr Volokidin (âPortrait of the Artistâs Wifeâ, âPortrait of the Singer Zoya Gaidaiâ), Alexey Shovkunenko (âPortrait of a Girl. Ninochkaâ), Nikolai Glushchenko (â Portrait of R. Rollan "). At this time, the creativity of the artist Catherine Bilokur (1900-1961) flourishes. The element of her painting is flowers, they form compositions of extreme beauty. The paintings âFlowers behind the fenceâ, âFlowers on a blue backgroundâ, âStill life with spikelets and a jugâ captivate with a combination of real and fantastic, a sense of harmony, a variety of colors, a filigree manner of execution. With the accession of Transcarpathia to Ukraine in 1945, Adalbert Erdeli (âBetrothedâ, âWomanâ), Berlogi lo Gluck (âLoggersâ), Fedor Manailo (âOn Pastureâ) joined the number of Ukrainian artists. Transcarpathian art school was inherent in professional culture, coloristic wealth, creative search.
Painting of the Great Patriotic War
One of the leading topics of Ukrainian easel painting for a long time remained the Great Patriotic War. Artists painted the heroism of warriors, the pathos of struggle. However, philosophical paintings were also written: âNurseâ by Askhat Safargalin, âIn the Name of Lifeâ by Alexander Khmelnitsky, âFlax Blossomsâ by Vasily Gurin. Many artists continued the development of Ukrainian fine art, trying to give their own interpretation of the personality and work of the Great Kobzar: Michael of God "My Thoughts, Thoughts" and the like. The pride of Ukrainian culture was the work of the artist Tatyana Yablonskaya (1917-2005). Even in the postwar years, T. Yablonskaya created one of the best paintings of the time - âBreadâ. The paintings of the early period artist - âSpringâ, âOver the Dnieperâ, âMotherâ - are made in the best academic traditions, full of movement, feelings and picturesque freedom.
Painting in the 50s of the 20th century
At the end of the 50s in Ukraine, the ideological pressure on the work of artists somewhat eased. And although the observance of the "principle of socialist realism" remained mandatory for Soviet artists, its narrow limits expanded. In the fine arts, compared with the previous period of freedom, there was more freedom in the choice of topics, means of translating an artistic idea, and revealing a national identity. Many Ukrainian artists sought to move away from a straightforward copy of life, they turned to symbolic images, a poetic interpretation of the old world. It was poetization that has become one of the leading trends in various forms of art. This period is characterized by a desire for national roots. Ukrainian artists of the 20th century turned to the images of prominent figures of history, culture, studied folk art, customs. Monumental and decorative art, in which bold experimental searches took place , acquired great importance. Among the original: Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station (DneproGES), 18 bright works of Ukrainian monumentalists - stained glass-triptych at the National University. T. Shevchenko, mosaic âAcademy of the 17th centuryâ at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, interior decoration of the Palace of Children and Youth in Kiev and the like.
Painting in the 60s of the 20th century
In the early 1960s, the artist T. Yablonskaya turned to folk art, which led to a change in her artistic style (âIndian Summerâ, âSwansâ, âBrideâ, âPaper Flowersâ, âSummerâ). These paintings are characterized by a flat interpretation, plasticity and expressiveness of silhouettes, the construction of color on the ratio of pure sonorous colors.
The creativity of the Transcarpathian artist Fedor Manail (1910-1978), which even in the pre-war years became one of the best European artists, is amazing. At the epicenter of the artistâs creative quest is the nature of the Carpathians and the elements of folk life: âWeddingâ, âBreakfastâ, âIn the Forestâ, âSunny Momentâ, âMountains-valleysâ, etc. F. Manailo was a consultant on the set of the movie C Parajanova "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors", which, thanks to his contribution, has gained particular expressiveness and ethnographic accuracy.
The Lviv art school is distinguished by the spirit of experimentation, gravitation towards the European cultural tradition. If the Transcarpathian school is characterized by picturesque emotionality, then for the Lviv school - a graphic manner of execution, sophistication and intellectuality. Prominent representatives of these areas of the time are famous Ukrainian artists: Zinovy ââFlint (âAutumnâ, âIndian Summerâ, âBach Melodiesâ, âReflectionsâ), Lyubomyr Medved (cycle âFirst Collective Farms in the Lviv Regionâ, triptych âEmigrantsâ, â The fluidity of time ", etc.). The real achievement in art was the work of these masters in the portrait genre. Portraits of cultural figures L. Medved (Lesya Ukrainka, S. Lyudkevich, N. Gogol, L. Tolstoy) attract attention by the original manner of performance, the unexpected compositional structure, the depth and special sharpening of the images.
Original artist Valentin Zadorozhny (1921-1988) worked in different genres - monumental and easel painting, graphic art, tapestry, wood carving. The artist used and creatively rethought the best traditions of folk art, deeply understood the basics of national culture: the paintings Maroussia Churai, Ecumenical Dinner, Chuchinskaya Oranta, Daily Bread, And And There Will Be A Son And A Mother ... and others fascinate richness and contrasting colors, expressive lines, ease of rhythm, decorative sound.
In the work of the artist Ivan Marchuk various artistic trends and methods can be traced (from realism to surrealism and abstractionism); genres (portraits, still lifes, landscapes and original fantastic compositions similar to dreams). Traditions and innovation intertwined in his paintings, all works have a deep spiritual foundation: âFloweringâ, âFlowering Planetâ, âLost Musicâ, âGerminationâ, âVoice of my soulâ, âThe Last Rayâ, âA month has risen over the Dnieperâ , "Monthly Night", etc. Among many of the artist's works, the painting "Awakening" attracts attention, on which among the herbs and flowers the face of a beautiful woman, her fragile transparent hands appear. This is Ukraine, which is awakening from a long, heavy sleep.
Ukraine is rightfully proud of folk artists: Maria Primachenko, Praskovia Vlasenko, Elizaveta Mironova, Ivan Skolozdra, Tatyana Pato, Fedor Punk and others. At one time, the French artist P. Picasso was amazed by the works of M. Primachenko. She created her own world, in which fantastic creatures live, characters of folklore, flowers seem to be endowed with a human soul (âWeddingâ, âHolidayâ, âBouquetâ, âMagpies - white-sidedâ, âThree Grandfathersâ, âWild Otter grabbed a birdâ , "The threat of war" and others).
The art of the end of the 20th century
The end of the 20th century can be considered the time of a new reckoning in the history of Ukrainian diverse art. The formation of an independent state created a new cultural and creative situation in Ukraine. The principle of socialist realism has receded into the past, Ukrainian artists began to work in conditions of creative freedom. Art exhibitions held at that time showed the high creative possibilities of Ukrainian fine art, its diversity, the coexistence of different directions, forms and means of expressing an artistic intention in it. Ukrainian fine art of the late 20th century. It received the name "New Wave", capturing the movement of the Ukrainian avant-garde of the 10-20s, but continuing to develop it in the new conditions.
Modern Ukrainian artists and their paintings do not fit into the framework of any one style, direction or method. Masters of the older generation prefer traditional to realistic art. Abstractionism gained significant distribution (Tiberius Silvashi, Alexey Zhivotkov, Petr Malyshko, Oleg Tistol, Alexander Dubovik, Alexander Budnikov, etc.). And yet, the main feature of contemporary Ukrainian art is the combination of figurative and abstract creative methods (Victor Ivanov, Vasily Khodakovsky, Oleg Yasenev, Andrey Bludov, Nikolai Butkovsky, Alexey Vladimirov, etc.).
New Ukrainian art
Contemporary Ukrainian art was influenced by Western modernism. Surrealism (from the French "supra-realism") is one of the main trends of the artistic avant-garde, it arose in France in the 20s. According to the chief theorist of surrealism A. Breton, his goal is to solve the contradiction between dream and reality. Ways to achieve this goal were diverse: Ukrainian artists and their paintings with photographic accuracy depicted scenes without logic, created fragments of familiar objects and strange creatures.
Op-art (abbreviated English. Optical art) - the course of abstract art, popular in the West in the 60s. Op-art works are based on the effects of vision errors, while the selection of shapes and colors is aimed at creating an optical illusion of movement.
Pop art (shortened English. Popular art) arose in the United States and Britain under the influence of popular culture. The source of his images became popular comics, advertising and industrial products. The concurrence of the plot in the painting of pop art is sometimes emphasized by technology, which resembles the effect of photography.
Conceptualism, conceptual art (from Latin thought, concept) is the leading direction of Western art of the 60s. According to the conviction of its representatives, the idea (concept) underlying the work has intrinsic value and is placed above skill. In the embodiment of the concept, a variety of means can be used: texts, maps, photographs, videos and the like.
A work can be exhibited in a gallery or created âon the groundâ, for example, a natural landscape, which sometimes becomes its component. At the same time, the image of the artist undermines the traditional idea of ââthe status of authors of art. In the installation, individual elements located within a given space form a single artistic whole and are often designed for a specific gallery. Such a work cannot be transferred to another place, since the environment is its equal part.
Performance (from the English performance) is an artistic phenomenon closely related to dance and theatrical performance. The language of pop art is skillfully and often used in such works by Ukrainian artists such as Stepan Ryabchenko, Ilya Chichkan, Masha Shubina, Marina Talyutto, Ksenia Gnilitskaya, Victor Melnichuk and others.
Ukrainian postmodernism
Assembling is an introduction to a work of art of three-dimensional non-artistic materials and the so-called found objects - ordinary everyday objects. It comes from collage - a technique in which pieces of paper, fabric, etc. are fixed on a flat surface. The art of assembly was born by P. Picasso at the beginning of the 20th century; among Ukrainian artists, the reception was widely used by A. Arkhipenko, I. Ermilov, A. Baranov and others. Modern Ukrainian artists call the current creative process in Ukraine, by analogy with the West, the era of postmodernism (that is, after modernism). Postmodernism in the visual arts is reminiscent of the fantastically mixed fragments of all previous styles, directions and currents, in which it is pointless to look for at least the slightest manifestations of integrity. Ukrainian postmodernism is most often a borrowing, or even outright plagiarism of Western patterns.