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Taras Shevchenko

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Oksana. Sketches

Taras Shevchenko. Oksana. Sketches

Taras Shevchenko. Oksana. After the motive of the "Blind woman" poem. Sketches.
[1841, end – 1842, the first half. St. Petersburg].
Paper, pencil. 17,6 × 26,5 cm.
Taras Shevchenko National Museum, № g – 381.

On the back – etude to etching "In Kiev".

Top right author's inscription in pencil: in distress in captivity pale // and somehow terribly thin, bottom right another inscription in ink: Bank of the Dnieper // Figure by Taras Sh[evchenko] // Leaf from his a[lbum] // from nature (related to etude "Kyiv").

Figures drawed in the album of 1840 – 1844 on the sheet, which was located between the later third and fourth numbered.

On page – three sketches depicting a woman sitting on the floor, and other sketches. Author's inscription on the picture is a variant of lines 761 – 762 of the "Blind woman" poem, first published in 1989 [T. Shevchenko Complete Works: in 12 volumes. – K., 1989. – T. 1. – p. 353]. In these sketches, as in other similar performances, probably during the writing of poems, drawn image of the overwhelmed with grief Oksana. This allows one to specify the name of the sketches.

Dated according to the time of writing drama "Blind beauty" (December 1841) and the "Blind woman" poem (first half 1842).

Reproduced for the first time with name "A woman on the floor" in 1961 [T. Shevchenko complete works: in 10 vols. – K., 1961. – Vol. 7, bk. 2. – p. 4. – № 161] and comment out the connection to the "Blind woman" poem, dated according to the figure "In Kiev" – not before May 1843.

Storage areas: from 1920 – Ukrainian History Museum (Kyiv); 1933 – Gallery of pictures by T.H. Shevchenko (Kharkiv), from 1948 – State Museum of T.H. Shevchenko (Kyiv).

I.M. Verykivska

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – K.: ed. of Acad. Sci. of UkrSSR, 1961, t. 7, bk. 2, № 161 (image); T.H. Shevchenko Complete Works in 12 volumes. – K.: Naukova Dumka, 2003, v. 7, p. 441 – 442 (notes).

Additional images