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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

An epoch-making artist

The Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art hosts a solo exhibition of Ivan Yizhakevych
30 August, 2012 - 00:00
MOM IS COMING / Photo replica provided by the author
A FRAGMENT OF A MURAL AT THE ALL SAINTS CHURCH OF THE KYIV PECHERSK HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PRESERVE / Photo replica from the website RISU.ORG.UA
LOVE THE FOREST. THE BILLBOARD SAYS: “USSR. LOVE THE FOREST! PROTECT THE FOREST! YOU MUST PRESERVE IT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN” / Photo replica provided by the Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art

Ivan Yizhakevych, often called “person as a phenomenon,” was born on January 18, 1864, and lived for a century minus two years. He wielded the paintbrush for more than 80 years of his lifetime. The would-be artist spent his childhood in the Cherkasy region and, when he was eleven, he came to Kyiv and was admitted to Mykola Murashko’s Kyiv Painting School.

 

Yizhakevych displayed his abilities very early. Once Ivan drew a self-portrait and showed it, together with other drawings, to his teacher. Murashko immediately appreciated the work and suggested to his pupil that he take up part-time tutorship of novices.

At the proposal of Mikhail Vrubel and Professor Adrian Prakhov, Yizhakevych, still a youth, took part in the restoration of St. Cyril Church frescoes.

“Kyiv still keeps a lot of Yizhakevych’s monumental and decorative paintings – from the first attempts at St. Cyril Church to the most exquisite works at the Kyiv Cave Monastery,” area researcher Mykhailo DYMCHYNA says. “He painted over the church on the monastery’s Economic Gate as well as the All Saints and Refectory churches (in the latter case he worked according to the sketches by and under the personal supervision of Alexei Shchusev). The paintings create the impression of an ‘optimistic buoyant chord’ taken by a bold hand.”

Yizhakevych himself reminisced as follows about how he began to paint over the most majestic Ukrainian temples: “Mykola Murashko received a letter from Professor Prakhov and announced to us, students, that a few days later we would begin restoring frescoes at St. Cyril Church in Kyiv’s Kurenivka. Indeed, we soon began the work. Having done the first work, I earned praise from Prakhov and Vrubel. But Vrubel took a dim view of my next work and reproached me for trying to stand my ground. I remember he said to me: ‘School-taught skills won’t do here. We need a creative spirit’” (A Dictionary of Culture, 2003).

It is interesting that, is spite of participating in monumental projects, folkways remained the key theme in Yizhakevych’s painting. More often than not, he painted scenes of rural life. Later, he took interest in historical pictures and illustrations to the literary works of Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, and Ivan Franko. This interest turns into a profession – Yizhakevych begins to work for the popular illustrated magazine Niva. The artists made his pictures on boxwood boards with a pen in Chinese ink, which wood-carvers then engraved and prepared for printing. By the late 1890s, Yizhakevych had already established himself as a popular illustrator.

Yizhakevych’s graphics are exhibited at present in the Contemporary Art Museum at 17, Hlybochytska St.

“Our museum displays an exposition from our own collection. And although it comprises only 19 of his small graphics, I am sure they will give an ocean of pleasure and food for thought to the interested audiences,” museum employee Svitlana HAVRYLENKOVA says.

The exhibition of Ivan Yizhakevych’s works at the Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art will remain open until October 1.

By Sofia KUSHCH
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