Masterpieces of Ukrainian Iconography in N ew Mystetstvo Album

St. George (twelfth century), The Protective Veil (late XII-early XIII century), Mother of God of Volyn (XIV century), Our Almighty Savior (XV- XVI centuries) — these and many other religious paintings are included in the album, Masterpieces of Ukrainian Iconography of the XII-XIX Centuries recently published by the Mystetstvo Publishing House. It is the first of a series commemorating the National Art Museum's centennial. In this new album icons emerge as an inalienable component of life in the Ukrainian countryside, part of the religious interior ornament, and a way to learn the Truth. Every icon in it is augmented with a detailed commentary and extensive annotation. Top quality print allows the reader to graphically trace all the stages in the development of Ukrainian icon-painting as an independent school of art.

The foundation of this invaluable collection of Ukrainian icons was laid by Mykola Biliashivsky, the first director of what was known as the Museum of Antiquities and Arts, and his assistant Danylo Shcherbakivsky. The collection contains icons mostly representing Left Bank and Dnipro Ukraine explored by art experts' expeditions. Of course, the icons contained are only a small part of the National Museum's stock where the display is incomplete for want of room. But this shortcoming will soon be corrected, the museum management assures us. As for the album, it features the best icons in the museum's stock.

Expert collectors of literature on art are very impressed by Mystetstvo's print quality and accompanying text. The series is intended to advertise the museum's collection, thereby propagating Ukrainian art. One can only hope that the first album will not be the last, financial problems notwithstanding.