Happy catcher

Taras Shevchenko. Happy catcher. Paper, sepia (21.6 × 21.6 cm). [Novopetrovsk fort]. [1856 – 13.V 1857]. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 220.

Under the picture right on the mat – pencil inscription: Taras Szewczenko od Br. Zaleskiego, on the back of the mat pencil inscription: The happy catcher.

Together with the pattern "Smart seller" (see number 219) sepia was sent for Sale to Br. Zaleski with a letter of 8 – 20.V 1857, in the postscript to which 13.V Shevchenko wrote: "Also sending you Happy catcher and the Artful seller. Their price is known to you".

The two pictures on the execution time close to sepia "Shevchenko and Kazakh boy playing with cat". Shevchenko calls them brothers in letter to Br. Zaleski from 10. VIII 1857.

Sketch of reed to the picture see number 172.

In 1947 drawing was given the Academy of Sciences of the Lithuanian SSR, as a gift to the Ukrainian people for 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian SSR.

Storage areas: property of Romer family, Central Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Lithuanian SSR.

I. M. Verykivska

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1964, Vol. 9, № 57 (image), p. 35 – 36 (note).