Oil painting People by the river Fedir Zotykovych Konovalyuk

№Vern 210


*** ABOUT THIS PAINTING ***
* TITLE: "People by the river"
* ARTISTS: Fedir Zotykovych Konovalyuk
* SIZE: 24.5x34 cm/'9.64x13.38 inches'
* MEDIUM: oil, cardboard
* HAND PAINTED: Original painting from our collection
* CONDITION: we tried to convey the maximum information with the help of photos about this product

About the artist: The prominent Ukrainian artist Fyodor Konovalyuk belongs to a galaxy of masters who, unfortunately, receive recognition only after their death. But ascetic life, creativity, talent always, in the end, overcoming the line between being and not being, bring great masters into the space of immortality. Through thin canvases Konovalyuk speaks to us of eternity and love. Great love for Ukraine, its people, love for nature, people, love for Kiev, where he lived almost all his life, inexhaustible and life-giving love for life itself in all its manifestations.

Fyodor Konovaluk was born in the village of Kalivka (now the village of Yagidne) in March 1890. It seems that nature itself, in its state of awakening, prosperity and renewal, has rewarded it with a great talent for feeling and reproducing the endless beauty of any season; ignited a powerful creative energy in the soul, gave a tireless work capacity. The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, in which the young artist studied in 1903 - 1909, became the cradle where not only talent was formed, but the soul in unity with God, where the heart throbbed and the emotions were enriched. In 1911 - 1915 F. Konovaluk was a student of the Kyiv Art College. From a young age he took part in the paintings of the churches of Kyiv and Katerynoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk). Perhaps from that time, the dreamed, enlightened eyes of the beauty, which exists only in unity with kindness, patience, optimism, were deep in the soul.

In 1925 - 1927 Fyodor Konovaluk studied at the Art Institute of Kiev in the class of Fyodor Krychevsky (1879 - 1947). (From the Krichevsky family came many artists who were not only famous painters, but were also architects, and masters of book graphics, artists of theater and cinema, masters of decorative and applied art). Fyodor Krichevsky was the talented teacher who embodied the experience of generations, their inspiration. Thanks to Krichevsky, Fedor Konovaluk became a follower of the traditions of Ukrainian realistic painting of the XIX - early XX centuries.

His teachers were also known artists V. Sonin, I.Zhakevich, V. Menk, O. Murashko, V. Makovsky.

Fyodor Konovaluk, son of poor peasants who remained an orphan in early childhood, traveled 94 years from the laborer to the great master of a wonderful marvelous brush and took a special place in Ukrainian fine arts.

He could become a professor, or even an academician, but he had no titles, no rewards, because his art was "too national", too frank about his worldviews, and did not meet the ideological requirements of the Soviet era, in no way coincided with the official line of development of the art of socialist realism.

In all his life he had the only high rank of ARTIST.

But in spite of everything, Fedor Konovaluk was and still is a great master of landscapes. Among the many other works of Konovaluk are always distinguished by their unique feature. Its landscapes are landscapes of specific (recognizable) terrain, seasons, weather. and even the specific time of day. He does not look for any particularly attractive or magnificent landscapes. For him, beauty exists in every moment, in every corner of nature. His paintings seem to speak to us - nature itself, life itself, that is inexhaustible but very fragile beauty. Before Konovaluk's eyes, in Konovaluk's brush nature never conceals its beauty and wisdom. Every painting, every landscape of Konovaluk concentrates a great spiritual upsurge, a breakthrough because of everyday life, indifference, despair.