Artist

Ukrainian Artwork

Our Ukrainian art prints bring together painters born in or shaped by Ukraine, from the late 19th century to the 1940s. The heart of the collection is Ivan Ivanets, who drew the life of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen in the First World War. Around him...Read more

Our Ukrainian art prints bring together painters born in or shaped by Ukraine, from the late 19th century to the 1940s. The heart of the collection is Ivan Ivanets, who drew the life of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen in the First World War. Around him are Alexandra Exter's avant-garde stage designs, Arkhip Kuindzhi's glowing sunset, and landscapes by Ivan Pokhitonov and Abraham Manievich, 283 fine art prints in all.

About Ukrainian Art Prints

In the 19th century, Ukraine was divided between the Russian and Austrian empires, and many of its painters trained and worked far from home. Arkhip Kuindzhi (1841–1910), born near Mariupol, became famous for dramatic landscapes lit by a single source of light. Ivan Pokhitonov (1850–1923), born in the Kherson region, spent most of his working life in France and Belgium painting landscapes.

Kyiv became a centre of the avant-garde in the early 1900s. Alexandra Exter (1882–1949) studied at the Kyiv Art School, mixed with Picasso and Braque in Paris, and ran a busy studio in Kyiv. In 1908 she and David Burliuk, who was born near Kharkiv, joined other young artists in the Zveno ("The Link") exhibition there. Abraham Manievich studied at the same school and helped found the Ukrainian Academy of Arts before emigrating to New York in 1921.

In western Ukraine, then part of Austria-Hungary, Ivan Ivanets (1893–1946) studied law and painting in Lviv. In 1914 he joined the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, a Ukrainian unit in the Austro-Hungarian army, as a rifleman. He became its artist and photographer and helped design its uniform and flag. Later he edited magazines and almanacs in Lviv. He was arrested by Soviet counter-intelligence in 1945 and died in a camp in Solikamsk, Russia, in 1946.

Style and Subjects

Ivanets's drawings are the core of the collection: soldiers in trenches and dugouts, officers with binoculars, cavalry at the gallop, horses and carts, and quiet moments of reading, chess and rest. Many are quick, observant sketches, and there are historical scenes too, with hussars and horsemen in old costume.

Exter's work is the opposite in mood: bright colour, geometric shapes and costumed figures, from her years as a stage and costume designer. Kuindzhi puts a fiery light at the centre of a low, wide landscape. Pokhitonov and Manievich offer gentler landscapes, from the Seine and the Belgian coast to snowy New York suburbs.

Famous Works

Red Sunset on the Dnieper, Arkhip Kuindzhi (1905–1908), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. One of his last major works, with a blazing sky over the river; the Met added "on the Dnieper" to its title.
Oficer Legionu Ukraińskich Strzelców Siczowych w okopie obserwujący przez lornetkę przedpole, Ivan Ivanets. An officer of the Sich Riflemen watches no man's land through binoculars from a trench.
Constructivist Stage Design, Alexandra Exter. A theatre design in her Constructivist style; she was one of the leading designers for Alexander Tairov's Chamber Theatre.
Maquettes de Théâtre 10, Alexandra Exter. One of a series of colourful theatre designs from her years in Paris.
Quai de la Tournelle, Paris, Ivan Pokhitonov. A Paris riverside view by the Kherson-born landscape painter.
Autumn. White Plains, Abraham Manievich. An autumn scene near New York, painted after he left Kyiv for the United States.

Decorating with Ukrainian Art Prints

Ivanets's drawings look good in groups. Hang three or four together in a study, hallway or library, where their small scale and quiet tones work best. His horse and cavalry sketches suit a country kitchen or a child's room.

Exter's stage designs add strong colour to a living room, music room or home office. Kuindzhi's sunset makes a warm focal point above a fireplace or sofa, while Pokhitonov's and Manievich's landscapes are calm enough for a bedroom.

FAQ

Who was Ivan Ivanets?

A Ukrainian painter, graphic artist and photographer from near Sambir, in today's Lviv region. He served with the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen in the First World War and recorded their life in drawings and photographs.

Who were the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen?

A Ukrainian unit formed in 1914 within the Austro-Hungarian army. It was the first Ukrainian military formation to fight in a major European war since 1709.

What is Arkhip Kuindzhi's most famous painting in this collection?

Red Sunset on the Dnieper, painted between 1905 and 1908. The original is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which bought it in 1974.

Was Alexandra Exter Ukrainian?

She was born in Białystok, grew up in Kyiv and studied at the Kyiv Art School. She is associated with both the Russian and Ukrainian avant-garde, and later lived in Paris.