Two portraits of Taras Shevchenko from the museum collection

In the Chernihiv Historical Museum named after V.V. Tarnovsky, there is an album called "Paintings by P.O. Kulisha. Donated to the V. Tarnovsky museum by O.M. Kulisheva". In it on 42 sheets are pasted 47 drawings, performed by P. Kulish and O. Kulish in 1844–1858. На 29 the pages of this album contain two drawings with the image of T.G. Shevchenko.

The first pencil drawing is made on a piece of paper, розміром 11,7 х 11 see. In its center is a light sketch: Bust portrait of Shevchenko in profile. A poet in a frock coat, a scarf around his neck, hair combed back, without headgear, beards and mustaches. A pencil inscription under the sketch: "Shevchenko. Fig. P.A. Kulish". The second drawing is pen and ink on paper, розміром 7,5 х 9,7 see, folded in half. Here, Shevchenko is depicted in the same perspective, as in the previous picture, in the same clothes, long sideburns appear on the face, the high forehead is cut by two deep wrinkles, without a beard, mustache, headdress. The entire image is shaded. Under it is an inscription in ink: "The chosen orphan above the Dnieper is crying. PC". Inscription in ink on the back: “1855 15 Dec. Kiev". Under it is a pencil inscription: "Very similar. Fig. P.A. Kulish". Both drawings were made by P. Kulishem, and the inscriptions were made by O. Thick gruel of cornflour (Hanna Barvinok) and P. Kulishem. There is nothing similar in Shevchenko's iconography of this period, that is, the 50s., there is none. These drawings enrich our understanding of Shevchenko, and this is their artistic and historical value.

Старший науковий співробітник музею,

кандидат історичних наук Ігор Ситий