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Taras Shevchenko

Encyclopedia of the life and works

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Gypsy fortune-teller

Taras Shevchenko. Gypsy fortune-teller

Taras Shevchenko. Gypsy fortune-teller. 1841. [St. Petersburg].
Bristol Watercolour. 26,5 × 20,7 cm.
Taras Shevchenko National Museum, № g – 824.

Right beneath brown watercolor author's date and signature: 1841. Shevchenko.

On the back – a pencil inscription: T. Schevchenko. Similar inscription placed on the back of the picture "Maria. Below on the mat printed in bronze paint: T. Schevchenko.

Drawing is the author's copy or variant of the picture, "which depicts gypsy" [Taras Shevchenko: The documents and materials for the biography. 1814 – 1861. – K., 1982. – p. 35. – № 74], for which the September 26, 1841 he was awarded a silver medal of the second degree (№ 236). Sometimes this watercolor mistakenly was identified with painting [Republican Shevchenko Jubilee Exhibition in Kiev: Product – guide. – K., 1941. – p. 24. – № 113; T. Shevchenko Complete Works: in 10 volumes. – K., 1961. – Vol. 7, bk. 2. – p. 17. – № 32], although the watercolor works of Academy students were never awarded with medals [Collection of materials for history emperor's St. Peterburg Academy of Arts for a hundred years of its existence / Edited by P.N. Petrov. – SPb., 1865. – Part 2]. D.V. Antonovich believes that "watercolot with witch is repeated with the image of oil for which Shevchenko received the Academy celebration in 1841 – and it is more than likely" [D. Antonovich Shevchenko as a painter // Full publication of Taras Shevchenko. – Warsaw, Lvov, 1937. – vol. 12. – p. 86]. Adheres to this opinion also A.M. Skvortsov: "… there is no data to consider this watercolor as painting "The gypsy", for which Shevchenko in 1841 received a second silver medal" [Skvortsov A.M. Artist Taras Shevchenko. – M., L., 1941. – p. 26].

For plants, shown below in the foreground watercolor used sketches 1840 – 1841 – "Corner of Smolensk cemetery» and "Weeds». G.M. Chestahivsky, translating memories Shevchenko, testified that the artist often placed plants in the foreground works as details of composition: "It is very comely in a painting" [From T.H. Shevchenko's memories (recorded by G.M.Chestahivsky) // Kievan antiquity. – 1895. – № 2. – p. 139].

A picture may be prepared for engraving and placing in the anthology "Morning Dawn", because it stored in an album of his publisher V.A. Vladyslavlyev among other works of other artists, who engravings published in this edition. In description of the Vladyslavlyev's album Shevchenko's watercolor is under the number 6 with name "Gypsy tells fortune to ukrainian girl" [Sudak V.A. Pages of Shevchenko illustrator activity // Folk art and ethnography. – 1989. – № 1. – p. 4].

Figure first mentioned and reproduced by I. Eisenstok with the same name and the assumption that the figure was a girl sketches to paintings "Catherine" [Eisenstok I. Shevchenko's literary legacy fate / Literary legacy. – M., 1935. – № 19/21. – p. 429, 483]. Referenced to also with name "Catherine with a fortune-teller" [D. Antonovich Shevchenko as a painter // Full publication of Taras Shevchenko. – vol. 12. – p. 82].

Storage areas: property of V.A. Vladyslavlyev; later – K.T. Soldatenkov; from 1901 – V.I. Soldatenkov, 1925 – from N.G. Soldatenkov received by the State Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow); later – to the Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin (St Petersburg); from 1948 – State Museum of T.H. Shevchenko (Kyiv).

Exhibitions:

1939. Kyiv. Shevchenko Jubilee Exhibition [Republican Shevchenko Jubilee Exhibition in Kiev: Product – guide. – K., 1941. – p. 24. – № 113];

1958. Leningrad. Up to 200 anniversary of the Academy of Arts [Klynchenko V. There, where genius of poet begun // Working paper. – 1958. – March 9].

1964. Kyiv – Moscow. Shevchenko Jubilee Exhibition [Jubilee art exhibition on the 150-year anniversary of the birth of T.H. Shevchenko: Product. – Kiev, 1964. – p. 6];

1968. Prague. Shevchenko exhibition [Taras Ševčenko: Výstava o životĕ a díle. – [Prague 1968]. – № 9 / 1];

1984. Kyiv. Shevchenko – artist. To 170–th birthday [Shevchenko – artist: Exhibition Catalogue. – K., 1986. – p. 8].

V.O. Sudak

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – K.: ed. of Acad. Sci. of UkrSSR, 1961, t. 7, bk. 1, № 32 (image); T.H. Shevchenko Complete Works in 12 volumes. – K.: Naukova Dumka, 2003, v. 7, p. 383 – 384 (notes).

Additional images